“Yeah and way too over-protective.” This voice was the polar opposite, so bored with the world. “You know he is making me take a guard with me when I go to college. Ugh, it’s so annoying, like we can’t take care of ourselves,” the dark-haired girl complained.
Sam spoke up, “This is Brindle.” He pointed to the complainer and shook his head at her as he responded, “It’s for your own good. Now help Lilith get settled in. I am going to go check on the guards. None of you go anywhere until I return. Understood? Josiah will be back shortly.” He walked through the door without waiting for their response. Lilith slyly followed and opened the door a crack to see if she could run yet. But all she saw was Sam turn to look straight at her, giving no room for argument and as Josiah joined him, she slammed the door in frustration. She turned to see both women looking at her sadly.
“Come,” Brindle said kindly. “Let’s fix some tea.” Lilith gave up her thoughts of escape for now and followed the two girls into the little kitchen. Brindle asked her to take a seat at the tiny round lace-covered table. For some strange reason, Lilith thought she should have gotten in groceries.
As Brindle opened cabinets and the refrigerator, Lilith was surprised to see it was already fully stocked. They really did plan for her arrival. As the younger woman filled the kettle with water, put it on to boil, and pulled a tray of pastries from the cupboard, the light-haired sister sat down at the table across from her.
“My name is Breanna and Brindle is my twin sister.” She held out her hand politely.
Ignoring the delicate gesture, Lilith said “So you are all in on this? And I suppose even my boss at work? That’s why he wanted me to take my vacation now. All of this was just a set up to get me here? Kidnap me and force me to be one of those ‘breeders’?” Her anger flared and Brindle turned from the counter.
“Look. I understand it is a lot to take in. I can’t imagine what you must feel like, never having known this about yourself, about what you are and who your parents were. But you have to believe us. This is all real.” Brindle sounded so sincere Lilith felt her anger waning, just a little. But believe this was all for real? That was a lot harder.
Brindle continued, “And I understand that Sam can be a little pushy and intimidating, but maybe you should think about the bigger picture. Do you understand the dangers that this family is facing from other Clans to abide by your father’s wishes? Your father was a good man and an important one in our world. The others know this. There are some that may just want to be with you to become part of his bloodline. There are others who would torture and kill you just because he was their enemy.”
She took a breath and continued her impassioned plea. “My brother wants to honor your father’s wishes and will fight anyone who threatens your welfare. He has vowed no one will touch you except him. He is the alpha of our Clan and anyone would be lucky to have him. You will be his wife and bear his children. If not for your own welfare then for the memory of your father and the safety of my family.” She had built in volume and anger as she spoke, the final words spit over her shoulder as she stormed out the front door, almost colliding with Josiah.
Josiah looked from Brindle’s dark cloudy face to Lilith’s shell-shocked one. “Oh God, Brindle what did you say now?”
“I told her the truth since every else around here was tiptoeing around it, including father and Sam,” she said before she stalked away.
Lilith tried to digest everything Brindle had said. She looked at Breanna questioningly and realized everything must be true by the sad expression on her face. Breanna gently reached out her hand and enfolded Lilith’s. “I know it is hard to take in all at once. But she is right. Your father was a very good man and we would be proud to have you in the family, but I know it has to be your choice. Although he is too serious for his own good sometimes, Sam is a very gentle and honorable man.” And she winked as she ventured, “You know, dragon-shifters are notoriously good to their women.”
The innuendo wasn’t lost on Lilith. She found herself laughing out loud and for the first time since the nightmare began, she felt at ease.
“I have spent my entire life fighting and alone. How am I supposed to just do as I’m told? If this is all true, why didn’t your father step forward and take me in when my parents died? And I don’t even know Sam. How do I pledge to spend the rest of my life with him?” Lilith couldn’t stop the questions from pouring out.
“Marriages were always arranged in the old days.” Lilith was surprised to hear someone so young speak of it as a good thing. “You will get to know him, even come to love him, I have no doubt. You will learn our ways—I and my sister will teach you everything there is to know. My father is very anxious to meet the daughter of his best friend. He has watched you from a distance and even talked to you although you could not know who he really was. He couldn’t claim you when they died as he was not family, not in the normal world’s sense of it. He will be here to see you tomorrow morning. Tonight will be a big night for you.”
“Tonight! You mean this is to happen tonight? I am to marry him tonight? Or is it just I am to offer myself up based on some crazy fairy tale told by you nuts? What if I don’t want to?” She stood so quickly her chair clattered backward onto the ceramic tiles.
“If you don’t choose Sam, and tonight, then you will still be at risk. The other Clans will hunt you down and catch you. If they succeed in taking you away, forcing you into marriage with one of their heirs, there is nothing my brother or my family can do. Once you are married you are untouchable. That is Clan law. Although there are rebel groups who might still try to kidnap you, the majority of the dragon-shifters will back off.” Breanna wasn’t sugar-coating it. “It is for your safety that this has to happen tonight, before the New Moon.”
“How do I know that what you say is the truth? This could just be a ruse.” She looked at Briana searching for some sign, but in her heart Lilith knew this was all starting to sound incredibly real. She had started to have flashes of memory of her life before the accident since Sam had kissed her. Images of her father and mother telling her a bedtime story…their special family story.
“It is Sam’s only wish to protect you—know that first. The only thing that ensures that even more than standing guard and locking you away is for you to marry and carry his child. And the only way to do that…” The young girl blushed for the first time, showing this wasn’t as easy for her as she was trying to make it seem. “Even if you are not married, if you carry another dragon-shifter’s child then you are untouchable. And you cannot marry until after the New Moon.”
Lilith needed to be alone—this was just too much to digest. “I think I am going to go take a shower and lay down. It has been a long day.”
“Yes, of course you are very tired. You go get some sleep and we will talk more soon,” Breanna said rising and taking their tea cups to the sink. “And Lilith, I am glad you are to be my sister. I have heard great things about your family and know we will become fast friends.” She touched Lilith’s shoulder gently as she passed her, smiling sweetly as she walked out the front door.
Lilith felt like the air had been sucked out of the room. She walked in a trance into the large bedroom and rummaged through her little suitcase until she found her favorite pjs, a purple tank top and matching shorts. She automatically laid them on the bed and shut the bedroom door before she went into the bathroom. Moving slowly and deliberately, she turned on the taps and checked the temperature before turning the knob for the shower. She left the bathroom door open and quickly removed her clothes knowing she would feel much better once she got under the water. The minute the warm spray hit her neck and back, her body relaxed but her mind did not.
What am I going to do? Can I go through with this? What will happen if I can’t? She still had so many questions. She wet her hair, the act of lathering it with rich bubbles not helping to clear her head. She finished washing, turned the water off and grabbed a towel from the rack beside the shower. Quickly dry
ing off, she wrapped the towel around her, tucking the corner in between her breasts to hold it on as she always did and turned to leave the bathroom. She stopped short when she saw Sam sitting on the bed. His back was propped up against the headboard and his legs were stretched out in front of him as if he owned the place. He looked up just then. His eyes traveled down the length of her body and back up. God why am I in nothing but a towel?
“What are you doing in here?” She asked breathlessly. She had not said he could come in, had not even said she believed all of this. And yet, it was all starting to seem so real. She thought back to the family fairy tale… And she could not deny the connection she felt to him every time he had been near.
“Waiting for you.” He stood and started to move toward her like an animal stalking his prey. His eyes were smoldering as they once again perused her body from head to toe. When he reached her eyes again, he seemed to rein in the animal if only for a moment, and a questioning look came into his steely blue eyes. He wanted her “okay”.
Lilith gave it, staring deeply back and whispering “yes”. He pulled her to him. She gasped as he wrapped his left arm around her waist and sunk his other hand in the wet tangle of her hair to guide her full lips to his. As soon as his lips touched hers all thoughts fled from her mind. Thoughts of fighting him, the duty she had been given, the loneliness she had felt for so long. Instead she met his kiss head on. She heard a low rumble in his throat as he gripped her closer. He gently pulled her head back to place little kisses along her throat, a little nip where her neck met her shoulder. He turned her slowly, never breaking contact, until she felt the bed behind her knees and he slowly laid her back. She felt the pressure of his body weight as he followed her down to lay half on her and half beside her. His tongue tasted the shell of her ear and her head started spinning.
The towel forgotten where it fell, Lilith welcomed his hands moving on her body. His lips came back up to meet hers as one hand moved to lightly coax her nipple into a hard peak and the other slowly dipped between her thighs. They were both panting as she wrapped her arms around him, twining her fingers momentarily in his soft hair. Then she moved her hands to their own perusal of his body, feeling his heat through the soft flannel of his shirt. She slowly massaged over his shoulders down to his biceps then back together to meet in the middle of his flexing back. She arched her own back from the bed, to meet his mouth on her nipple, giving over to the pure pleasure of it. His hand moving so expertly between her thighs brought her to sudden and exquisite climax. Lilith let go of all pretense, all fear as she moaned and fell back onto the bed. When she was finally able to open her eyes, she found him looking at her with such satisfaction and—was it pride? She felt the heat rise in her face. He laughed a little as he stood and held out his hand. She ignored him, instead bending down to retrieve the towel. She wrapped it back around her and shyly pushed her hair from her now rosy face.
“Thank you.” He leaned down and gently kissed her lips before walking away. Lilith quickly took another shower, avoiding analyzing their heated encounter, and put on the pajamas she laid out earlier. She snuggled up into bed and thankfully found sleep quickly.
She awoke sometime later to see the sun shining in through the blinds. She stretched like a satisfied cat in the sun, then realizing she was ravenous, threw on a pair of jeans and light sweater. She needed to eat at least. No need to think before breakfast.
Lilith padded barefoot out into the living room, turning to the kitchen. She stopped in her tracks at the sight of Sam there putting two plates on the table. The smell of eggs and bacon and biscuits tickled her senses and her stomach started rumbling loudly, giving her away. She decided to play it cool and walked over to the counter. “Do you want coffee?” she asked as she pulled over the sugar canister from the other side.
“Please. The cups are on the right and the cream is in the fridge.” She jumped at the brief contact as he brushed against her. He seemed not to notice as he turned to bring the silverware to the table. She poured two cups and put them on the table, then went back to get the sugar and cream.
They sat and ate in silence. She tried to sneak little glances when he wasn’t being attentive to her. They finished quickly and she automatically stood to clear the plates to the sink. As she rinsed the dishes, she didn’t hear him walk up behind her. Lilith emitted a little shriek when he placed his arms around her waist and brought her back against him. But she quieted as he slowly bent his head to her ear and whispered, “It is good to know that you enjoy my touch. We are meant to be together, I hope you know that. I am already sensitive to your body’s rhythms, can feel your heart beating faster when I touch you. And I can tell it is no longer from mistrust.”
“I am going to go get the car. Come out when you are ready. I want to show you the mountains as you have never seen them before. We will spend the day together, getting to know one another and I will win your heart.” He slowly kissed her neck before pulling away and going to the door. She turned to watch him and as he reached the door, he looked over his shoulder and she was caught by the passion and love she saw reflected back to her.
As the door closed, she looked down to see her hands were gripping the counter so hard they were actually turning white. Is this real or did I faint when I got here and I am still dreaming? The sensations in her body told her it was real. Lilith finished the dishes, welcoming the warmth of the water and the little bubbles floating and popping, even if it was just something to further ground her in reality.
She found her sneakers next to the door and walked out onto the little porch to see a huge black Ford F250 high in the air next to her little hybrid car. Of course he drives a truck like that—what else would a dragon man drive? She giggled at the absurdity of it all. It was good to smile and somehow it felt like it would be okay, for the first time in a long time. She had fought so hard all of her life, accepting this new world version was getting easier. After graciously helping her up into the passenger’s seat, Sam ran around the front and hopped easily into the truck. It roared to life and he drove off in the opposite direction she had arrived by the day before. They travelled for what seemed like forever, bouncing along a little dirt road before pulling over and coming to a stop on the side under a giant maple tree. The sun streaming through its shivering leaves left a dappled pattern on the ground below.
“I thought you might like it here. I come here when I need to clear my head.” Sam hopped down and ran again around the front to help her out of the truck. He has a lot of energy she smiled to herself.
“Oh look at the happy little couple,” came a sneering voice behind them. They turned in unison to see a man with dark long hair and emerald green eyes sauntering toward them. He was very handsome but in a hard, nasty sort of way. Sam quickly shoved her behind him as if to shield her from the man’s very presence. Lilith stood on her tiptoes and tried to peer over his shoulder to see the man. The man laughed cruelly, then literally vanished into thin air.
“Come on. Let’s get back to the cabin. Your safety is in even more jeopardy than I thought.” Sam roughly grabbed her hand and yanked. She felt herself almost tripping over her own feet to keep up with him. Driving home as if the Devil himself was on their tail, Sam explained the man’s name was Damon, an exile from their Clan. He did not seem to want to expand on the subject.
After a quick assessment that it was safe for her to get out of the truck, Sam ushered Lilith quickly to the door and threw it open to find people everywhere. There was Josiah, Brindle, Breanna, and three other men she did not recognize. The men parted to reveal a much older man. He rose and came toward her, hands outstretched. Sam did the introductions: “Lilith, this is my father, Jonas.”
She could see his likeness to Sam. He had the same darkness as Brindle but had light blue eyes like Breanna. He looked at her with a kind smile as he took both of her hands in his own. “Ah you have the beauty of your mother but your father’s eyes. It is good to finally meet you, my long-lost goddaughter.” His voic
e was deep with a warm, rich timbre. This man couldn’t be older than his 50s and was strong, built like his sons.
“Thank you. It is good to finally meet someone from my parents’ life. They were very secretive and I was very young when I lost them. I was never able to find any family on my own.” She said this last statement very quietly. She was conflicted as to how she should handle this meeting. For a moment she wanted to yell “where have you been all my life” but resisted.
He looked at her with sudden and profound sadness. She was thankful she hadn’t yelled at him as it was evident he knew what her life had been like and regretted not having been there to help. “Yes, my child. I am sorry to tell you that your father was the last of his line. You see, your father had no family either. The people that would have been your aunt, uncle and grandparents were killed when he was young. Executed by rebel Clan members. My father found your father and hid him from the other Clans. My parents raised him as their own and I knew him as my younger brother. Your mother’s family disowned her when they found that she had married a shape-shifter. I am sure you don’t know this child, but you are a rare and precious individual. Part dragon and part witch.” He gazed at her solemnly, reverently almost.
“What? First I learn that my father was some fairy tale creature and now I learn that he was a witch too?” She asked with shock in her voice.
“No, my child your father was a dragon and your beautiful mother was a very powerful witch.” He said this with a smile. He took her hand and led her to the couch. “First let me introduce my family to you. You have met Sam, Josiah and the girls.” He said with a wave of his hand. Suddenly a man that was casually leaning against the wall walked to her.
Romance: Scifi Romance: Mated by the Alien (Abduction BWWM Paranormal Romance) (Interracial First Contact Space Romance) Page 17
