Aldain knew what they experienced; it was the rendezvous of two soul mates coming together. Their souls intertwining with each other. The delight of their souls reuniting after such a long time apart. He wanted to tell Tori all this but felt it was too soon. She may not understand right now and he had so much more to show her, so much more he wanted her to learn. But he wanted her to learn it at a pace that would benefit her and the growth of their relationship.
As he was holding her, he kissed the top of her head. “I don’t know lass but let’s just accept it for what it is and worry about the whys later.”
Tori looked at him with a slightly confused look to her face. “But that is just it Dain. I can’t accept it for what it is because I don’t understand what ‘it’ is.”
Aldain smiled, “How about this then, it was beautiful, it was intense and something I have never experienced before. It was and is something special that neither one of us has felt before. So, let’s work on seeing where the rest of this goes? What do you say? I would love nothing more?”
Tori sighed and smiled. He had a point. She was determined to find out what it was they had. She knew it went way beyond lust. She knew she felt something for him and she could tell he felt something for her too. They both stayed under the tree, basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking. Each deep in their own thoughts, watching the stars twinkle in the dark night sky.
Tori turned towards him. “How is it that you live in a castle? You said it has been in your family for a long time.” Aldain told her as much as he could without letting her know he was from a dragon shifter clan.
Aldain inherited the castle when his father died. When his father died, his mother couldn’t stand to keep being reminded of the life she spent with him there. The memories were too painful for her. She insisted on living in a cute little cottage near Inverness. She had found it when she was visiting a friend not long after her husband died. When he died a part of her died with him. When a mate dies, if the bond is tight, there is a good chance the other left behind will soon follow. Aldain was afraid his mother would be right behind his father; she had told him the only thing keeping her alive was the son that they shared. He looked so much like his father her heart ached every time she saw him. But she loved him and wasn’t ready to leave him alone; especially since he hadn’t yet found his mate.
Dragon shifters lived very long lives but they weren’t eternal. His father lived to be several hundred years old. The oldest dragon shifter known had lived to be a thousand years old. His mother was five hundred and her age in dragon years would be comparable to forty in human years. She was still a beautiful woman. Dragon shifters aged like humans until they hit eighteen then they aged very slowly. Aldain looked around twenty-eight in human years but he was a little older than that, closer to 150, which was considered very young in dragon years. His father was one of those dragons who decided if he couldn’t find his mate, he would remain alone but then his mother came along. Aldain was an only child but he had plenty of playmates so he never missed having siblings.
His father was also the head of the dragon shifter clan. When his father died, that title went to Aldain. He was also on the council that consisted of different factions of paranormal or magical beings. It was hard for him to be both clan leader and council member so he had his best friend Malcolm MacMurray be his second in command of the clan, who was doing an excellent job of overseeing things. Aldain went to visit once a month to make sure there were no problems and to let the clan know he was still their chief and always had their best interests at heart.
His clan was living at Isle of the Sky. He was born there and lived there most of his childhood. His father then had his castle built close to Edinburgh because it made sense. There always seemed to be some kind of skirmish going on between dragon shifters and other kinds of shifters. The heads of each clan made Edinburgh their main meeting place, it was considered neutral ground. During these skirmishes, all the clan heads would meet to decide if any rules were being broken and try to get the warring factions to come to some kind of an agreement that would benefit both sides. There was always fighting over land as the clans got bigger. His father did what Aldain did. He put someone he trusted in charge of the clan on the isle, namely Aldain, which left him free to attend the meetings in Edinburgh. Aldain gave Tori the watered-down version of course.
Chapter Seven
They walked back to the castle, hand in hand during the early morning hours. Becca looked out the window and saw them in the distance and a smile crossed her face. She couldn’t think of a better man to help tame her sister. She knew Tori would also keep Aldain on his toes. She wished she had thought of having her sister come out sooner. She hoped with all her heart that things worked out between them. She would just have to watch and see.
Becca was also going to tell Tori about her being a vampire before she went to bed tonight. She practiced how she was going to tell her and nothing she tried sounded right so she was just going to tell her the truth and hope for the best. Becca walked with Tori to her room. Becca asked her if she had a few minutes to talk to her before she went to bed. Tori told her she would love to talk to her. She suggested Becca go get her nightclothes on too, that way they could lie in bed like they did when they were little girls telling each other their secrets. It seemed a lifetime since they had done something like that. When Tori finished changing Becca was knocking on her door. Tori hugged her and they both got comfortable on the bed. Tori raised her eyebrow waiting for her sister to tell her whatever it was she wanted to say.
Becca nervously cleared her throat and smiled at Tori. “I have something I need to tell you and you might find it hard to believe but please let me tell you the whole story before you interrupt me okay? It is going to be hard enough without you interrupting me every minute. You can ask me questions when I am done.?” Tori couldn’t imagine what it was she was about to hear but she promised to keep her mouth closed until Becca was done with her story. Becca proceeded to tell her that Cade was a vampire and how she met him. How he had saved her from a rapist and killed him using his vampire strength. She told her about having to go in front of a council to be accepted.
Becca didn’t tell her what kind of beings made up the council but she did tell her about Monique being the head of the vampires. She told her how Monique was so opposed to her that she had Alex, another member of the council try and kill her. The only thing that saved her was for Cade to turn her. She also told her that Aldain knew the story but didn’t feel it was his place to tell Tori. He left that up to Becca. When Becca was done, she looked at Tori waiting for her to say or do something besides stare at her with huge saucer shaped eyes.
Finally Tori said, “So let me get this straight. I have a brother-in-law who is a vampire who turned my human sister into a vampire to save her life?” Becca shook her head yes. Tori then said,” Prove it!”
Becca blinked, “Excuse me.” She said in a shocked voice.
“Prove it. I want you to show me you are a vampire and not just telling me some outrageous story, “said Tori.
Becca wasn’t expecting this. She smiled at Tori and as she did her teeth slowly elongated into fangs. Tori scooted away from her, “Holy shit! You have fangs!”
Becca reached out to her sister. “Hey Tori don’t be afraid of me. I am still your sister and you know I love you. I just have a few added features that’s all. Cade and I don’t go around sucking people dry. We live off animal blood or blood from the hospital blood bank. If Cade didn’t turn me I would have been dead. How would you rather have me…. dead or a living vampire?”
Tori’s mind was whirling. She decided the love she had for her sister outweighed the fact she was now what some people would call the living dead. But the part that mattered to Tori was the ‘living’ part. The more she thought about it the more she came to terms with it. In a very weird way knowing Becca could kick some major human ass made her feel a little safer. “Becca, I love you no matter what you are. I am glad y
ou told me and we will talk more about this. I have so many questions. But right now, I have to try and wrap my head around this and try to sleep.” They hugged each other and Becca left feeling so much better knowing her sister finally knew the truth about her. She was glad she didn’t have to keep making excuses to her for not going out in direct sunlight. She sighed and padded off to bed where her fated mate was waiting for her.
Aldain and Tori were heading to Edinburgh the next day for her shopping trip. As much as she tried to sleep, all Tori dreamed about was Aldain; knowing he was close by made sleeping impossible. As soon as the sun came up she took a luke warm shower. That seemed to help calm her nerves while heading to Edinburgh.
Tori was enchanted with the scenery as Aldain told her stories of historical events that took place along the route they were driving.
When they arrived in Edinburgh Aldain parked the car. Tori wanted to walk around the city as much as she could. There were plenty of shops to check out but there were also medieval relics everywhere. Aldain explained to Tori that the clan whose festivities they were going to would be wearing a blue colored tartan. It was worn for dancing and festivities. She decided that she would look for something close to the same color if she could.
Aldain showed her the blue color of the tartan from a shop that made them. In a little tucked away shop, Tori found the perfect outfit. It is what some would consider a one-piece outfit. The neck line was low-cut which enhanced her cleavage. The sleeves had slits at the top and went to just above her elbows. The middle hugged her waist and accentuated her hips that Aldain loved so much, followed by flared pants that would twirl if she decided to dance. It looked extremely beautiful on her. She also bought a pair of silver high heels to go with it. Before she could look at the price tag, Aldain had already paid for them without blinking an eye, Tori shrugged. He offered to pay for her outfit so if it made him feel better who was she to complain?
Aldain took her purchases and put them in the trunk of the car. He asked her if she wanted to see some historical sites. Her face lit up and she said she wanted to see as much of the city as she could. He took her to various places throughout the town that most visitors went to see, and other places off the beaten path. He had a vast knowledge of Scotland’s history and he made each story very interesting. She loved Edinburgh castle so much he practically had to drag her out of there.
As the day passed, they realized the last thing they had eaten was a bagel each for breakfast. They were so engrossed in seeing the sites they missed lunch and both of their stomachs were complaining. Aldain was surprised his dragon had been so quiet. When he got hungry he was usually impossible to quiet down until he stuffed himself.
Aldain took her to a small out of the way restaurant. He told her it mainly fixed Scottish food. He wanted her to try the Haggis, but she scrunched her nose at that suggestion when she saw one of the locals eating it. It didn’t look palatable to her. Aldain laughed at the look she gave him. “I promise Tori it tastes better than it looks. I am having that myself.” Tori settled for the Fisherman’s pie but she promised him she would take a bite of his Haggis. Years ago, Haggis was fixed in a sheep’s stomach but as time went by it was put in a sausage casing instead.
As they were waiting for their food, a young man walked over to their table. “Aldain how nice to see you. Who is this lovely lass you have with you? I don’t think I have seen her around.” Aldain got a sour look on his face. He wasn’t happy to see this man. You could tell by the way Aldain’s body stiffened as he got closer to them.
He introduced them, “Tori Robinson this is Alec Russell.” Alec looked at Tori with such intensity it made her uncomfortable.
There was something creepy about this guy. Tori held her hand out to shake hands with Alec, he grabbed her hand and brought it up to his lips. The feel of his lips against her skin made her shudder. “I am pleased to meet you Miss Robinson.” He said.
Tori quickly removed her hand from his, “Thank you, Mr. Russell. I am from the states but Aldain has shown me your beautiful country. It is a pleasure meeting you.”
Alec’s eyes twinkled, “Ah an American, and a very beautiful one at that. Where have you been hiding her Aldain? If you aren’t spoken for I would very much like to get to know you better Miss Robinson.”
Before Tori could answer Aldain stood up and standing in front of Alec said in a threatening voice. “She is very much spoken for Alec.” Tori swore she saw Aldain’s eyes flash yellow. When she looked again they were normal, it must have been a figment of her imagination.
Aldain clenched his hands. He was ready to rip Alec apart. He couldn’t help the protective streak that rushed through him. Tori quickly stood up and put her hand on Aldain’s shoulder. “I am sure he didn’t mean anything by it Dain.” She looked at Alec and as she put her hand in Aldain’s said “I appreciate the compliment Mr. Russell really. As you can see Dain and I are together. I guess you will have to find another American woman to ply your charms on but I am sure you won’t have a problem there seems to be plenty American women visiting Scotland.”
Alec looked daggers at Aldain before turning to Tori, “Ah well it is my loss and his gain Miss Robinson. It seems Aldain is a very lucky man. I wish you both well. It was good seeing you again Aldain and it was a pleasure meeting you Miss Robinson. Please enjoy your meal. I have somewhere I have to be.” With a nod of his head he left. Tori looked around and realized people were staring at them. She smiled and sat back down telling Aldain to do the same. His entire body was shaking with the control it took him to keep from throttling the life out of Alec. He took in a deep breath before taking his seat.
The waitress came shortly afterward with their food. Tori leaned over the table after she had left. “What the hell is wrong with you acting like some kind of Neanderthal. I can handle myself and I could have handled him. You don’t own me Dain. If you are going to act like that every time a man flirts with me I am not going anywhere in public with you again. That was a scene I could have done without,” she said in a low voice.
Aldain couldn’t believe he caused such a scene himself. He had no idea what had come over him. His dragon was so upset he almost shifted. Aldain had never come that close to shifting in public. Ever! The entire time Alec was flirting with Tori all his dragon kept saying is ‘mine, mine.’ This time Aldain agreed with him, he knew it was because Tori is his soul mate. The compulsion to protect her was overwhelming. Aldain knew he was going to have to give Tori an explanation that would placate her.
He looked deeply into her eyes. “I can’t begin to tell you how very sorry I am. When he grabbed your hand then stood there leering at you like you were his next meal something in me just snapped. The only thing that makes sense to me is after what your ex did to you, my protective instincts are in overdrive. Please forgive me Tori.” He looked at her with such sincerity in his eyes she knew he was telling the truth when he said he was surprised at his own reaction.
Her face softened, “Well okay but promise me you will keep a handle on that over protectiveness. I would hate to think we couldn’t go out in public together. I like spending time with you. I would like to be able to do it anywhere.” She grabbed his hand and squeezed it to let him know he was forgiven. He smiled at her, he was going to have to take a trip to visit his mother. Maybe she would be able to help him figure out what was going on with him.
As promised, Tori took a bite of Aldain’s Haggis. It wasn’t as bad as she thought. The look of it was sure deceiving; it tasted better than it looked. It was getting late and they decided to head back. When Aldain was sure Tori was buckled in he told her to stay there for a minute; there was something he had to do. Tori just gave him a questioning look. He promised her he would only be a few minutes. As he left she couldn’t help wondering why she couldn’t go with him. It could have been some last-minute business he had just remembered. She wasn’t waiting long before he returned.
They arrived back at the castle just as the sun was going down. They
had been gone the entire day. Apart from meeting Alec, they had a wonderful time. Becca and Cade were just leaving for the night and told Tori they had already eaten. Aldain came in carrying her outfit. She took it from him and thanked him. To show him everything was still good with them she gave him a kiss that almost curled his toes. He would have liked to continue that kiss and see where things went, but Tori told him she was tired and would see him in the morning. He watched her go upstairs, watching her hips sway as she walked. He felt the heat start to consume him. He just couldn’t seem to get enough of her; she was like a drug to him!
The clan party was in two days. He would go see his mother tomorrow. It had been some time since he had seen her so he was looking forward to it.
Chapter Eight
While Tori was still sleeping, he told Becca that he had some business to attend to and that he would probably be back late. Neither Becca or Cade had met his mother yet, but when he talked about his childhood and mentioned her his features softened. There were times you would get a quick glimpse of how he must have looked as a little boy.
He drove to the little cottage his mother loved so much. He saw her in her garden and honked and waved as he drove into the driveway. By the time he got out of the car, his mother was standing there and gave him a tight hug. “I have missed you ma. You are looking good; the Inverness weather seems to agree with you. How have you been?”
Kissed by The Dragon: (The Dragon Lords - Book 2) Page 17
