…
Lyle could hear them talking in the kitchen as he was stepping out of the bathroom after his shower with a towel wrapped around his middle. Therefore, he was surprised and jumped slightly when Flynn came around the corner catching him hurrying to his bedroom. The sudden and shocked look on Flynn’s face left him more than a little self-conscious. He wasn’t naked and he knew he didn’t look as bad as that expression indicated. Lyle stopped and looked at Flynn waiting for an explanation.
“What’s wrong?”
“That mark on the left side of your lower back, have you always had it?” Flynn asked rather presumptuous as far as Lyle was concerned. He seemed upset by it. Lyle eyed him cautiously not sure why his birthmark should be so upsetting.
“It’s a birthmark. He’s always had it.” Hunter appeared next to Flynn at that moment and answered for Lyle. “His mother told him that it was his guardian angel because it’s shaped like an angel.” He finished the explanation.
"I think it looks more like a fierce dragon in flight. What do you say, Forbes?" Flynn turned to his brother.
“Definitely a dragon.” He said and Hunter started to laugh. Lyle began to walk backward into his room not liking the scrutiny at all.
“I’m going to get dressed if everyone is done critiquing my birthmark.” He said.
“Get dressed and meet us in the kitchen.” It was Forbes deep tones and it sounded more like a summons than an invitation. Lyle nodded and closed the door. As he was walking away from the door, he heard Forbes inquire about Hunter’s statement of, ‘his mother’ and asked if they had different mothers.
Lyle thought it pretty obvious considering Hunter had dark blonde hair and hazel eyes and fair skin whereas Lyle had black hair, brown eyes, and a darker complexion. But apart from his birthmark maybe they hadn't looked at Lyle that closely. Lyle smiled feeling so much lighter and hopeful as he turned in the mirror to check out the mark that he saw as his only protection when he first went to live at the Davis ranch.
His mother was Shoshone and had been a member of the Wind River Reservation near Riverton. She had a brief affair with Morris Davis while his wife, Hunter's mother, was in the hospital dying of cancer. Morris was a real class act. He hadn't become aware of Lyle's existence until he was five years old and his mother had gotten verbal about who was the father of her child. Word got back to Morris and he sued for a paternity test and then sued for custody which he got. Morris was a landowner and a man of means and Lyle's mother was not.
Lyle never saw his mother again, she was denied visitation due to a few DUI’s and a drug arrest that Morris made to look like a dependency, and so she was deemed a danger to her son. Lyle went looking for her as soon as he was old enough to do so but she’d died in a car accident several years prior and no one had told him.
She was a passenger in a car that was broadsided during a winter storm. She had her problems, but hell who doesn’t, and she had been a decent and loving mom to him. He had good memories of their time together.
When he was first scheduled to go and live with Morris, his mother told him that his angel would protect him and that nothing evil would ever befall him. It was a great comfort in the early years and even now the mark gave him a connection to his mother.
He and Hunter grew close over the years and became true brothers in their battle to survive life with their father, Morris Davis. Life on the ranch was brutal and demanding and all either of them dreamed of was someday taking over and putting Morris out to pasture. But like they say, life is what happens while you’re making plans.
It was pure torture to have been separated from Hunter because of his misplaced anger and his thoughtless betrayal and he was relieved that Hunter had forgiven him. They were brothers, they would always be brothers, Morris would not succeed in separating them and Lyle vowed that he would never let Hunter down again.
Lyle dressed in jeans and a t-shirt because that was all he had apart from a denim shirt and headed to the kitchen. He hadn’t had a good meal in a while and was hoping for a good meal. The twins looked like healthy eaters so he was sure lunch would be hearty. But when he walked in there were two others present besides Hunter and his men.
These men looked similar to the twins with the same muscular build and coloring, but they were taller, and they gave off an aura of command and authority that definitely set them apart. They introduced themselves as Calum and Alrick Keith; apparently, everyone was related and had started out as a motorcycle club called the Dragon's Blood traveling cross country until settling down here in Laramie several years ago.
Lyle found it to be an unusual backstory but then again, who was he to point fingers and Hunter was happy, so that was all that mattered. The men were friendly and welcoming, and Lyle found himself warming to their presence. He could understand why Hunter was drawn to these men and he hoped their appearance of kind understanding was legitimate.
"Forbes tells me you have an interesting birthmark on your back he said it looks like a dragon. Would you mind showing it to me?" Calum made the request seem casual, but the sudden mood change in the room spoke to a deeper concern. The look on Calum's face made it impossible for Lyle to refuse so he stood and hiked up his t-shirt on the left side and showed them the mark. Both Calum and Alrick checked it out.
Lyle wanted to drop his shirt and step back, but he didn’t want to be rude. He shot Hunter a questioning glance but received hunched shoulders and a look that said he had no clue what this was about.
"Thank you, Lyle," Calum said softly and patted him on the upper arm as Lyle dropped the hem of his t-shirt. Calum turned to regard Forbes and Flynn with an expression that looked like shock or surprise which didn't make any sense at all. The mark was interesting but far from shocking.
CHAPTER TWO
Calum and Alrick quickly excused themselves and headed back to the Lodge. “It’s true.” Alrick’s excitement was clear. “The mark is genuine, he is the King’s Consort.”
"It's true," Calum stated with a satisfied smile. "The arrival of Lyle Davis signals the beginning, the true creation of the Laramie Dragon Circle. Fate has blessed us, this is the moment we've been living for Alrick." He went straight to his office with Alrick right on his heels and put in a direct call to Duncan Adair, King of the Shetland Dragon Circle, soon to be, the Laramie Dragon Circle.
…
King Duncan took the call immediately. The elders had arrived last week and the groundwork for transferring the entirety of his Circle to Laramie had begun. His people were once again alive with hope and expectations that had been absent for so many years.
Duncan looked forward to starting afresh in this new land. Chieftain Calum Keith and his warriors did well in their Quest and brought great honor to the Shetland Dragon Circle and their King.
“Hello, Calum.” He greeted him with warmth and regard.
"Hello, my King," Calum responded and Duncan could hear a sense of urgency in his tone, excited urgency. "I know you were planning to come as soon as the Knights brought over the remaining families, but I believe you may need to come sooner."
"Is there something wrong?" Duncan was instantly on his feet and demanding more answers. "Rafe, my First Knight, is there, and Jude will be arriving by tomorrow. The others will be following within the week. What is it that requires more than their attention?"
“I’m sending you a photo that was taken by Alrick. We both witnessed this as did Forbes and Flynn.” Calum stated and Duncan waited for the picture to arrive not sure what it was that would inspire such certain urgency in his Chieftain.
The moment the picture appeared Duncan felt as if his world had tilted and then turned completely upside down. He moved quickly to his chair and dropped down, too overcome to continue standing. He stared at the picture and could barely breathe as his heart was now lodged in his throat. He tried to speak, but there were no words only a lightness, clarity and a driving need to get to this man. It was just a picture of his lower back, but there was no doubt t
hat this man belonged to him
Duncan had ruled his Circle for over five hundred years and in all that time the thought of his mate was never far from him. But as time wore on, he began to wonder if Fate would bless him or leave him to live his long life alone. The Quest was for his people but also in the back of his mind he’d hoped for his own happiness as well and now here it was. The mark was undeniable, this man, whoever he was, belonged to the Dragon King.
“What is his name?” Duncan finally found his voice.
“Lyle Davis, he’s nineteen. He is the younger brother to Hunter the mate of Forbes and Flynn. He arrived a few days ago. Flynn noticed the birthmark this morning and called for verification. He’s human and knows nothing of our world.” Calum explained.
“I’ll leave immediately. Keep him there.” Duncan stated and headed for the door.
"Yes, sir," Calum answered.
…
After Calum and Alrick left, Hunter, Lyle and the twins finished their lunch. Afterward, Lyle asked to go lay down for a while still feeling a bit weak. He was even too tired to question the weirdness around his birthmark. He'd look into that later because right now he needed to rest.
“Sure, rest up and maybe we can go for a walk later and I’ll show you around the property, it’s pretty impressive.” Hunter walked with him back to the bedroom. Lyle smiled and stretched out on top of the blankets.
“Sounds good, Hunter.” He said and drifted off.
Hunter covered Lyle with a light sheet and then headed back to the kitchen where he’d left his mates.
“So, what’s the big deal about Lyle’s angel?” He stated emphatically.
“It’s not an angel, it’s a dragon.” Forbes clarified without humor. “That birthmark is the rarest thing on the face of the earth. It signifies Lyle was born to be the consort of the King. We explained to you the purpose of our quest. Our Seer had told the King that where one mate was found all would be found and apparently that includes the mate of our King.”
“It will probably be true for the other members coming over. There may be many mates still to be discovered in this land.” Flynn added.
“What? No, he’s my brother, half Scotch Irish and half Shoshone, he’s no one’s consort.” Hunter made himself clear.
"Our King, King Duncan Adair is Lyle's mate as we are your mates," Flynn explained further. "The King's consort always carries the mark of the dragon and they are destined for the royal line."
“No, no, no, you say Lyle is this guy’s mate, but they haven’t met, how do you know he’s Lyle’s mate? You said you recognized me by scent and touch, I don’t understand.” Hunter was grasping based on what he knew of the dragon lore.
“The birthmark on Lyle’s back is the mark of our King. We all recognized it. Lyle will give birth to the next King and his Knights.” Forbes continued. “Only a true consort can birth a King and his Knights and Lyle is a true consort. The first born will be our next King, the following births will be the Knights that serve the King. King Duncan has four younger brothers and they are his Knights.”
"Lyle isn't gay," Hunter stated ruefully to a stunned audience.
"Well, that's going to make this mating a little more difficult," Forbes said and glanced at his brother. "Should we inform Calum?"
"Yeah, definitely," Flynn said.
…
Lyle woke late in the afternoon feeling rested and ready to take on the absurdities of his brother’s household. The whole let me see your birthmark and the subsequent exchange of surprised expressions was ridiculous, but he wouldn’t state that opinion aloud. Although these men seemed nice, they were also twice Lyle’s size and he was in no mood for another beat down.
He would tread lightly and see if Hunter had any answers or if it was just weirdness on their part. Not really a big enough deal for Lyle to stew over, but he was done flashing his birthmark. The next person to ask was going to get an emphatic, no.
Lyle went across the hall and washed up before venturing back out into the main part of the house. He found Hunter alone in the living room reading. “So, what’s the fascination with the angel?” He just couldn’t let it go.
Hunter stared at him for a moment and tapped his index finger on the spine of his book before answering. It was a tell that he was having difficulty putting an explanation together and it wasn’t going to be the entire truth. “They were surprised by the mark because it has special meaning in their culture. The presence of a dragon means that you are destined for great things and a position of importance.”
“And what culture is this, motorcycle gang culture?” Lyle was a little skeptical.
“They were a motorcycle club, big difference.” Hunter immediately defended his men and Lyle had to smile. “But no, they’re all from Scotland and apparently it means something special there.”
Lyle still looked unconvinced.
“They thought it was a tattoo at first that’s why they wanted a closer look, nothing nefarious I promise.” Hunter’s expression shifted to his annoyed look.
“Destined for greatness? If my track record is anything to go by, I would hazard to say they are grossly mistaken.” Lyle cocked an eyebrow at his brother.
“I thought the same thing about myself, Lyle. I thought my life was going to be nothing but sadness and despair and look at me now. I have the life I dreamed of and a future full of joyful expectations.” Hunter was bubbling over with happiness and it was gratifying to watch considering where they’d been.
“To be honest right now I’d welcome a destiny of mediocrity. It would be better than life with Morris on the ranch or a life of barely getting by. I’m not complaining, things are better now being out from under that man, but I would like a life where I could relax once in a while and just be, that’s my dream, Hunter.” Lyle spoke from his heart. He had no reason to hide from Hunter.
"I know you were planning to head to Denver in a couple of days, but I'd like to make you an offer." Hunter made a slight subject change. "I was telling the guys that you have carpentry skills and they have asked if you'd be interested in completing a few projects they have at the Gatehouse. It would give you work for a few weeks at least and then you can head off to Colorado with some real money in your pocket. What do you say?"
“What is the Gatehouse?” Lyle was confident in his skills. He’d become a capable carpenter under the tutelage of a previous foreman. It was a skill he planned to put to work once he reached Denver.
"It's a mountain retreat that the group uses, and it's located about thirty miles from here. It's secluded but easily accessible by roads so you won't be cut off. They built it about a year ago and they have some finishing touches to complete and are asking if you would agree to work for them." Hunter explained and Lyle listened. He understood the offer and it sounded great, but he also understood that they could hire anyone, and that Hunter was doing him a big favor.
"Thanks, Hunter, I appreciate you putting my name out there and I would be very happy to accept the offer." Lyle suddenly noticed that his angel was getting itchy and reached around his side to scratch. "That's weird." He said. "That thing has never bothered me before."
“Let me see.” Hunter got up and walked around beside Lyle.
“I promised myself that I would not show it to anyone else. My angel has been ogled enough.” Lyle laughed.
"Oh, fuck off you pain in my ass. Now show me." Hunter reached for the hem of Lyle's shirt and hiked it up. "Wow, it's really red and puffy. Forbes is a medic, let me call him and have him check it."
"No, it probably is reacting to the medication I'm taking and will be fine tomorrow. If it isn't cleared up in a couple of days, I'll let your boyfriend look at it, again." Lyle rolled his eyes.
Hunter eyed him for a few moments before agreeing. “Now come on and I’ll give you a tour of the Lodge property, it’s quite amazing.”
…
"Lyle has agreed to complete the projects at the Gatehouse. Hunter tells us he's quite an accomplished carpen
ter and woodworker." Flynn reported to Calum who was sitting in his office with his newborn son, Liam sleeping on his shoulder. His husband Chance was taking a well-deserved rest. Caring for a young dragon infant could be exhausting at times but infinitely rewarding. Liam was healthy and happy.
“That should keep him here until King Duncan arrives and being together at the Gatehouse will allow them to be alone and grow their relationship.” Calum rubbed circles on Liam’s back while he spoke. “Good work.” He told him.
"Thank you, sir. Also, Hunter told us that Lyle's mark has begun to itch and become inflamed. Is that a problem?" Flynn commented as he reached the doorway of Calum's office.
Calum abruptly shifted his gaze from his son back to Flynn who was now standing at the door ready to leave. “He’s being affected by the dragon spirits that surround him here. His body is reacting and soon he’ll go into heat.”
Flynn looked at him speechless for a moment and then repeated the last word. “Heat?”
“Get him to the Gatehouse as soon as possible, but don’t stay. Make an excuse, we need to keep the dragon’s away from him as much as possible until King Duncan arrives.”
“We’re causing his heat?” Flynn looked puzzled. “We’re not his mate.”
“The dragon in you and Forbes and all the others here are setting off the heat, but all are powerless to appease it. Only his mate the King has the power to ease the discomfort of his consort and bring him peace.” Calum cocked an eyebrow. “See the problem?”
“Yes, this could get really crazy and uncomfortable for Lyle. He has no idea what’s going on. I wish I could explain it to him.”
“Thank God King Duncan is on his way. Get Lyle to the Gatehouse as soon as you can.”
“Yes, sir. Right away.”
CHAPTER THREE
King Duncan Adair with his Dragon Knight, his youngest brother Grey, traveled through the night chasing the darkness across the globe on their journey to their new beginning. Duncan opted to fly under his own power which was exceedingly faster than any man-made machine. He couldn’t wait for their private jet to return and he did not abide public transport. His dragon was too large and untamed for such cramped quarters.
King of the Dragons: Dragon's Blood M.C. (Dragon's Blood M.C. Book 9) Page 2
