by Julia Milla
“Ah toold Doxie Ah woold be back whin Ah hud doone what needed tae be doone.”
“And since when do we ever get to do things on our own when the Commander’s around?” the tall blonde joked as he wrapped Kyran up in a big hug and slapped him on the back, completely ignoring her mate’s wet clothes and the small bits of gore he hadn’t had time to wash off. The name Kayne floated through her mate’s mind as well as the word demigod.
Okay, gonna need more explanation on that one…,
No sooner had the one called Kayne let go of her mate than the scowling man with a beard and hair that seemed to have a mind of its own who stood off by himself, stepped up and grabbed Kyran’s outstretched hand, clapped him on the back, and in a low, almost whisper said, “Yeah, thanks for almost getting me killed. Never…I repeat never make me the messenger again. You know our Drago doesn’t take kindly to being left out of the loop.”
Barking with laughter, Kyran shook his head. “Aye, Doxie, what’s a matter? Th' Assassin git th' best o' you?”
“Assassin?” The question was asked before she could stop it. She had vowed not to interrupt his reunion with his friends, but his quick response made her smile. “Drago’s nickname. Juist lik' mine is th' Phantom. We a' hae them. Ah promise tae explain.”
Not missing a beat, her mate went right back to his conversation with his brethren as Doxie, who she now knew from Kyran’s thoughts was really Maddox, growled, “Yeah, and he wasn’t the only one.”
Walking toward Drago, who had been standing back, Kyran knelt, bowed his head, and in a low voice, apologized. Caitlin didn’t know what he had done that required an apology but was sure she would soon find out as Kyran spoke. “Ah offer mah deepest apologies fur mah behavior 'n' th' suffering ye endured because o' mah actions. Ah …”
Drago’s hand landed on her mate’s shoulder, stopping the black dragon’s words. Several seconds of silence ticked by before the Assassin ordered, “Get up. There’s no need for all that and had you stayed in the lair long enough to talk to me, you would have known that. You were under that evil wench’s control. You could not help what you were doing.” He grabbed Kyran’s hand and pulled the black dragon to his feet before continuing with a cheeky grin, “Besides, the scar gets me special attention from my mate.” He waggled his eyebrows as the whole group erupted in laughter.
“And let me tell you what, ol’ Drago is getting good at working the sympathy angle,” the tall dragon with red curls and an easy smile joked just before the dark-haired man standing next to him, obviously his brother from the unmistakable resemblance, added, “For sure. That old dragon has learned a lot of new tricks since returning to the land of the living.”
Holding out his hand, the brother with the brown hair said, “I’m not sure if you remember me. It’s been awhile.” He winked. “I’m Ronin’s oldest son, Rian, and this is my youngest brother, Rory.”
Shock caused her mate to falter for just a second before shaking Rian’s hand and then Rory’s. “Ne'er did Ah imagine…Ronin’s lads. Wasn’t thare anoother?”
“Yep, we left Royce at home, minding the lair,” Rory answered, ignoring Kyran’s hand and slapping him on the back. “Damn, we’re glad to see you in one piece and back in your right mind.”
Another wave of guilt washed over her mate at the redhead’s words, but this time as the group laughed and agreed, all saying how great it was to find him healthy and well, Kyran pushed it aside and focused on his brethren. Caitlin couldn’t have been happier for her dragon. She could feel how much these men meant to him and how much having them back in his life eased his torment.
Listening to their conversation as they made their way toward her was comical. Here were centuries old men…dragons responsible for destroying evil and keeping the world safe, joking and teasing as if they were fraternity brothers returning from a kegger.
“What brought you all the way out here?” Drago asked.
Winking at his old friend, her dragon taunted, “Aye, ye’ll see soon enuff.”
“Has to be a woman. It’s always a woman with the Phantom,” Kayne laughed from where he stood at the rear of the group.
“Always a woman, huh?” Caitlin grumbled. “Well, those days are over, bub.”
“Aye, they are, mo maité, they are.” His quick answer reassured her, even though she truly had no doubts that he truly was all hers.
Still not answering their taunts, Kyran motioned. “C'moan, if ye hae tae knoow what Ah’m oot 'ere in God’s land fur, you’re gonnae hae tae follow me.”
“Lead on,” Drago agreed then added, “and while we walk, you can explain why you’re wet and covered in the remains of something evil that reminds me of the O’Baoills.”
“Aye,” was Kyran’s quick reply just before he began explaining what had just happened with Marcie.
Caitlin grinned when every time her dragon spoke her name love filled their mating bond. He had yet to reveal that she was his mate but could tell from the questions his brethren were asking they were quickly putting two and two together.
She heard the rustle of the bushes right before Duke barked at the Guardsmen’s’ arrival in her yard. “Hush, boy. They’re all our friends.” She chuckled as the German Shepherd grumbled and groaned but finally laid down at her feet as they both waited for Kyran and his friends to arrive on the deck.
“Caitlin, these are mah lads,” Kyran announced as she heard his boots strike the redwood. His hand touched hers then he added, “Lads, Ah’m happier than you’ll ever knoow tae introduce ye tae Caitlin Brookes, mo maité.”
“I knew it was a woman,” Kayne whooped with laughter.
“Congratulations, old boy,” Drago cheered. Then to Caitlin he said from where he’d moved to stand before her, “And Heavens bless you for having to deal with our Kyran. He can be a hand full.”
She saw the Commander’s outstretched hand through Kyran’s eyes and reached to shake it, chuckling when her dragon shook his head and growled, taking her hand in his own. His brethren all howled with laughter but it was Rory’s who explained. “The mating call has got the old Phantom all tied up in his underwear. Jealousy’s a bitch, huh, old man?”
Laughing out loud, Caitlin pulled her hand from his while saying, “I will not be rude to your friends. You have to trust me.”
“Caitlin…” he grumbled as her hand touched Drago’s.
“Kyran…” she growled right back, shaking not only the Commander’s hand but also all the other Guardsmen, while completely ignoring her mate’s discomfort.
Last to offer his congratulations was Kayne, who after welcoming her with a hug she knew was mostly to irritate Kyran, knelt down and asked, “And who do we have here?”
“That’s Duke,” she responded. “My seeing-eye dog.”
She could feel Kyran’s pride when none of his brethren missed a beat at the admission of her blindness but found herself bursting out with laughter when Rory joked, “Good for you. You won’t have to look at Kyran’s ugly mug for a thousand years.”
Yelling over the hilarity, her mate threatened, “Watch it, young’un, Ah whooped yer dad’s arse 'n' Ah kin whoop yers tae.” Which only made the Guardsmen laugh louder.
When things died down and Caitlin could get a word in edgewise, she asked, “How about some dinner? I’m starving. What about you guys?”
“Hell, yeah.”
“I can always eat.”
“You know it.”
“It’s been hours. I could eat a horse.”
“I never turn down a meal.”
Caitlin grinned as they all answered in unison and Kyran grumbled, “Okay, bit ye lot wull be helping tae wash th' dishes.”
“Kyran,” she scolded, holding his hand as he laid it in hers and led her into the house.
“What? Ye don’t knoow thae lads, mo chroí, they’ll et ye oot o' hoose 'n' home 'n' leave a mess th' size o' the aftermath of a hurricane.”
“Hey, hey, hey, hold up there,” Rory interjected. “You’re out of t
he loop, old man. All of us but Kayne have been domesticated.”
“Ye doon’t say?” Kyran coughed, holding back a laugh.
“Oh, yeah, mated and happy and whooped by our women,” Rory added with a snicker.
“Speak for yourself, little brother,” Rian’s voice sounded from across the room, making everyone laugh for the hundredth time.
Life with these guys is gonna be a lot of fun…
As soon as she could be heard, Caitlin asked, “How does spaghetti sound? I think it’s the only thing I have enough of.”
“That sounds great!” Kayne said before quickly offering, “And why don’t you take a seat and let us cook. We really aren’t as bad as Kyran makes us sound.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” she shook her head.
“No, really,” she could hear the sincerity in the Guardsman’s voice. “We want to.”
Shrugging, she chirped a quick, “Thank you,” and then made her way to the table, leaving Kyran to help his brethren get the food from the pantry and the refrigerator.
Listening to their comradery as they cooked and kidded around, always including her and explaining their private jokes, made Caitlin realize that in the blink of an eye without any prejudice or questions, she had truly been accepted into their clan and their family…she really was one of them. Laughing along with something Kayne said, she felt a buzz race through her mind. It reminded her of the sensation she’d felt the first night Kyran had appeared under her tree.
Trying to zero in on it, she could only hear static. It was then she realized her dragon was talking to one of his brethren without allowing her to hear. Knowing he was up to something but feeling the sincerity in what he was doing, Caitlin focused again on the other Guardsmen and waited for dinner to be ready.
Eating with more than Duke was more fun than she remembered. The men talked between bites and told story after embarrassing story about Kyran from his young and reckless days. More than once, her mate had warned with a growl, “Nae that oone. Somethings ur meant tae stay in th' past.” To which they’d all laughed and moved on, promising Caitlin to tell her when the old man wasn’t around.
It wasn’t long before their conversation landed on the night over a century ago when their Force was bespelled and taken prisoner by one of the many coven of black magic wizards sworn to rid the world of any who differed from them. The mood in the room turned solemn as Drago said, “How long were you with the O’Baoill’s, Kyran?”
“Thoos fookin' wizards sold me tae Tariq straight awa'. How come? Whit happened tae ye?” Kyran’s word were gruff but filled with apprehension as she felt him waiting for his Commander’s answer.
Through her dragon’s eyes, Caitlin saw the haunted look fall over Drago’s dark eyes as he cleared his throat and explained, “I was locked in a silver coffin and buried under one of the mountains not far from the lair.”
Unable to hold back her comment as silence filled the room, Caitlin asked, “For a hundred years? How did you ever survive?”
The Assassin blew out a long-suffering breath and Kyran’s grip on her hand tightened as he used her for a lifeline against the horrible memories they all shared. “That is the double-edge of being a dragon shifter. Our beasts possess enough magic to keep us alive for a very, very long time. No one promised it would be pleasant, just that we would live and that is what happened.”
“Oh my Goddess,” her murmured words were like a prayer for what the man her mate looked up to had suffered. But the tales of these great men and what they’d endured didn’t stop there as Drago added, “Thank the Heavens for my mate, Alicia.” Caitlin could hear the love in his voice when he said her name. “She heard my call and along with her sister, the Grande Priestess’ daughter, I was unearthed, the black magic was extinguished, and I am above ground and making up for lost time.” He sighed. “But what I went through was nothing compared to Kayne.”
She felt the attention in the room shift and was once again glad for the sight she was afforded through her mate as Kayne smiled and chuckled. “No worries. What’s a century as a hellhound in service to the Lords of Hell in the scheme of eternity?”
“A hellhound?” she breathed, unable to wrap her head around the truth she felt in his words. Kayne, the demigod as her Kyran called him, was putting up a brave front, but the pain and torment of what he had been through was in every word.
“Yes, ma’am, I was a snarling, butt-sniffing, son of Cerberus for a little over a hundred years, until this guy,” he slapped Rian on the back, “came to save his mate from one of the Lords of Hell. They found me and this one,” he raised his thumb toward Rory, “carried me out of the Pit.”
Not sure where to start and feeling incredibly humbled just to be in the presence of men such as these, Caitlin had to ask, “Do you know where the rest of your brethren are?”
Drago shook his head. “Sadly, no. I hope they will find their way free of the black magic and come home. Until then, we will fight and search. My mate, along with the other white witches, scry for them daily.” He chuckled. “That’s how we found Kyran.”
Not wanting to add more bad news to the party, Caitlin wondered if she should tell them about her experience with witches and had just decided not to when Kyran spoke up. “Mah Caitlin hasn’t hud th' best o' luck wi' witches. I’m not sure…”
“It’s okay, Kyran,” Caitlin interrupted, needing to be as accepting of his family as they had been of her. “I know the Universe has blessed these men with wonderful women who are trustworthy with good hearts just as She sent you to me.” She patted his hand. “I’ll be fine, and if and when I get to meet them, maybe I can even help try to find your brethren. We could add gypsy magic to the mix.”
The banshee could feel her mate’s happiness as he kissed her on the cheek and whispered, “Thare is na if, mo ghrá, ye wull meet them a' as quickly as ye can.”
As the last of the spaghetti was eaten and all the men complained about being full, Caitlin tapped her glass and stood. “I know it sounds like I’m proposing a toast but really, I just wanted to say thank you so very much not only for cooking, which by the way was magnificent, but also for accepting me so quickly and lovingly. I know I wasn’t what you expected…”
The sound of a chair sliding across the tile and Drago clearing his throat interrupted. “No, you were not what we expected.” Caitlin held her breath as he paused, afraid of what he was about to say but breathing a sigh of relief when he continued. “You are so much more. I had always prayed for Kyran to have a mate who could not only understand him but was strong enough to stand up to him and you, Caitlin Brookes, are an answer to my prayers. Thank you for saving our Phantom and bringing him back to us.”
“Hear, hear!” the Guardsmen called in unison.
Tears flowed down her face as once again her words were cut off when Kyran stood beside her and then dropped to one knee. “Caitlin, mo ghrá, Wull ye dae me th' honor o' bein' mah mate, nae joost in wurds but in th' wey o' mah ancestors, blessed by th' Universe before mah brethren 'n' th' Heavens?”
Unable to speak past the emotions filling her entire being, Caitlin could only nod as the Guardsmen whooped and hollered and Kyran stood and kissed her with so much love and adoration she could’ve swooned. “Tomorra under th' noonday sun, ye wull be mine, always 'n' forever. Ah love ye, mo maité, with all that Ah am, Ah love ye.” As only her mate could do.
Chapter Ten
Thankfully, the bag of clothes Caitlin had saved had some garments that were big enough for him and some were even halfway nice. Kyran hated that he and his brethren wouldn’t be dressed in their surcoats signifying the color and significance of their dragons and his mate wouldn’t have a gown handmade by the women of his clan. It also bothered him that the mating ceremony he was giving his banshee wasn’t being performed in one of the sacred places of his people, at the lair of the Blue Dragons with all the Elders in attendance. He’d thought about waiting, but knew that simply was not an option. He wanted to be bound t
o his mate in every way possible as soon as possible. If anything, he’d learned that tomorrow isn’t promised. If he wanted something he would take it, and he wanted Caitlin more than all the stars in the sky.
It had already been decided that they would battle Eve together. His Caitlin had made that perfectly clear. So, if she was going into battle with him, he was making sure she was protected in every way within his considerable power. He would share not only his heart, mind, and body with her, but also his soul, his dragon, and the powerful white magic flowing within him. Together, they would be an unstoppable combination.
Sitting on the deck looking over the decorations he and his brethren had prepared until the wee hours of the morning, Kyran couldn’t help but smile. His Caitlin had begged to help and even tried to make Duke keep Kyran from escorting her to her room and tucking her in, grumbling about her traitor of a dog turning on her in her hour of need as the black dragon kissed her goodnight, thrilled that it would be the last evening they would ever spend apart. Letting her have one last look at her backyard before severing that part of their connection, he’d whispered, “Codladh sámh, mo chroí,” then exited her room and stayed in her mind until she was sound asleep.
It had been a crazy night that reminded him how very much he’d missed his lads and how good it would be to kill Eve and return to the clan…and his Force. Rory and Kayne raided Caitlin’s garage, coming back with trellises and floral wire they positioned and tied together to make an archway and at the crack of dawn, complete with sunglasses to shield his still healing eyes from the morning sun, Drago corralled Rian and the two Guardsmen made their way to a nursery in the next town over, returning with white roses and huge yellow daffodils with bright orange centers. Not only did their scent remind him of his mate, but the bright colors made everything feel lighter and more festive, just as his stunning Caitlin had done for him.
After a brief absence, in which Kyran wondered if all his brethren had abandoned him, they eventually returned with four of the biggest terra cotta pots he’d ever seen and loads more flowers, refusing to tell him where they had found them.
