Craved by the Dragon (Stonefire British Dragons Book 11)

by Jessie Donovan

  She could've waited a few minutes for him, but Killian pushed aside that thought. "Thanks, Leo."

  With a wave, Killian raced out of the surgery and jogged toward the rear entrance. At one time, he'd hated surprises. And while sometimes Brenna went too far—such as when she'd organized a traditional Irish dance party in the great hall—he'd grown to like most of them.

  Especially when it involves her naked, Black said.

  Let's hope she's not naked if she’s standing at the rear entrance, Killian drawled.

  It didn't take long to reach the final walkway to his destination. He spotted Brenna plucking at a large, sheet-covered, rectangular object. Since it didn't even reach her shoulders, it couldn't be a car.

  Once he was within a few meters from her, she smiled at him. "Well? What did they say?"

  Closing the distance between them, he pulled her close. "Everything came back clean. I have to wait twenty-four more hours before they sign off, but if the next day goes without incident, I'm cured."

  She squealed before bringing his head down for a kiss.

  He took his time sipping and tasting his female before ending it. "So, what's the surprise?"

  "Oh, just something to celebrate your recovery."

  "I only just found out about it. Did Dr. Sid leak the results to you early?"

  She shook her head. "No, but I had a feeling it would go well this time, and I wanted to be prepared. Kai even gave me the afternoon off."

  "Does that mean you're going to tease me all afternoon about what's under there?"

  "Of course not. What's under there is what we're going to do for the afternoon." She stepped back and motioned toward it. "Open it and take a look."

  The rectangular shape told him little of what it could be. Quickly tearing off the sheet, he sighed. "You put a box over it too?"

  She grinned. "A little suspense can sweeten the reward later, as you often remind me."

  A naked image of Brenna in his bed, moaning as he slowly licked between her thighs, flashed into his head. "And I'll be reminding you of that later as well. I plan to make good use of our afternoon."

  She gestured toward the box. "Let's take things one step at a time. Hurry up and open it."

  He went to slice the tape, but the box moved. There wasn't a bottom, so he lifted it off and gasped.

  It was a motorcycle. A Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R, to be exact.

  Brenna spoke up. "I couldn't afford a new one, but I asked Blake to go with me to check it out. Apparently, he loves motorcycles, too. You should ride with him sometime."

  He ran his hand over one of the handlebars and then the other. "I love it." He glanced at his mate. "And my first ride will be with you, once we have helmets."

  She kissed him quickly before dashing behind a bush and producing two helmets. "I thought of that. I've never ridden one. Maybe one day you can teach me, but for now, I just want to ride on the back."

  "I might be able to do that. For a price."

  "Killian O'Shea—"

  He shut her up with a long, slow kiss before finally laying his forehead against hers. "If you think I'm going to ride this with you on the back and not find a spot to make love to you along the way, then you don't know me well enough."

  "One day, you'll tire of so much sex," she teased.

  "With you, never." He kissed her nose. "I love you, Brenna, and will never let you forget it."

  She tilted her head. "A female could get used to that."

  He lightly smacked her bum. "Good, because having you in my life is a treasure I'm never going to take for granted." Plucking one of the helmets out of her hands, he situated it on Brenna's head and fastened it. "Now, there's a sexy sight."

  Rolling her eyes, she held out the second helmet. "I draw the line at wearing helmets during sex, Killian."

  He fastened his own. "Why would I ask you to do that? Undressing you is the fun part." Straddling the motorcycle, he patted behind him. "Let's go for a ride. I promise you it's the closest thing to flying you'll feel while still being on the ground."

  Brenna climbed up behind him and wrapped her arms around his torso. He took a second to memorize her heat, scent, and toned body against his back before starting the bike. As it revved to life, a sense of peace came over him. It'd been too long since he'd ridden and having his mate at his back made it perfect.

  Black growled. Yes, yes, it's nice. Now, get going. I love riding and want to feel the wind again.

  Killian slowly pulled up to the gate and glanced at the hidden security camera. A few seconds later the gate opened and he said, "Hold on tight," before taking off.

  At first Brenna held him tighter as he took the turns and guided the machine in graceful movements. When she shouted, "Go faster," he only loved her more.

  Increasing his speed, Killian took off, the vibration of the bike between his thighs making his heart rate tick up.

  Biking through the Lake District with the female he loved at his back was almost too good to be true. He'd come a long way from waking up with amnesia and always wondering if he had a future. He may not know everything it held, but with Brenna at his side, it would be a bloody good one. And a male couldn't wish for anything more.

  Epilogue Two

  Many Months Later

  At the edge of Glenlough's main landing area, Caitlin Todd waited for Lorcan to finish dressing after his shift. She should feel guilty since Georgiana hadn't felt well enough to come with them. However, even though her stepdaughter was ill, it had been a few weeks since Caitlin had visited her family and she was anxious to see her children and mother again.

  Her dragon spoke up. Would you rather have Lorcan waltz in naked?

  No. He's mine.

  Exactly. So have a little patience.

  Once Lorcan made the final adjustment to his formal kilt-like attire, he strode to her side. "You can stop tapping your fingers, Caity."

  "I can't help it. This is the first celebration after Teagan's pregnancy announcement. I want to make sure she's all right and no one tries to organize some sort of revolt."

  Slipping his arm through hers, he guided them out of the landing area's exit. "Killian and Brenna should be here already. Although I think Teagan is more than capable of taking care of herself."

  Glancing over at her mate, she smiled. "You've come a long way on your position with females."

  He raised his brows. "Did I have a choice? Between your mother and daughter, I was getting more guilt trips than I ever had from my own gran when I was a lad. I mainly changed policy to finally have some peace and quiet."

  Lorcan teased her, but Caitlin knew he was secretly enjoying the changes a few female Protectors were determined to bring to the clan, as soon as they finished their time with the British Army.

  Patting his arm, she said, "Since I think the changes only brings us closer to your actual retirement, I'm going to thank my family for their harping this one time."

  "Because that won't backfire," he drawled.

  "Oh, stop. It's their way of showing love and acceptance. If they didn't like you, there would be only silence and plenty of glaring."

  "You mention silence as if it's a bad thing."

  She sighed. "Lorcan."

  He winked. "You know I'm jesting. I'm just partial to your flushed cheeks and revel the opportunity to see them when I can." He leaned over to her ear and whispered, "As well as other flushed parts of your body."

  His words only made her face burn hotter.

  Her dragon laughed. If you can't stop blushing at our age, I don't think it's ever going to happen. Prepare for Mam to tease us.

  They approached the last leg to the great hall. She'll be too busy sitting near Teagan and Aaron, glaring out at the rest of the clan, to notice.

  She may be older, but her eyesight is as keen as ever. Just wait and see.

  A pair of Glenlough's younger Protectors stood at the entrance. Ignoring her dragon, Caitlin smiled at each of the Protectors in turn before entering the large, rectangular
hall.

  Banners in the colors of Glenlough's allies lined the edges of the room. Not only were all the clans in Ireland represented, but also those of Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and both English ones. The multitude of vibrant colors, ranging from blue to green to red, made Caitlin proud. Her daughter had been instrumental in securing each clan's place of honor in the hall.

  At the far end was a raised dais, complete with a long table and a series of chairs. Teagan sat next to Aaron, whispering something. Brenna and Killian were on the main floor, talking with Lyall O'Dwyer—head of Glenlough's Protectors—and Dr. Ronan O'Brien. She'd just began searching for her mother when her voice filled her ears. "My daughter is the last to arrive. I'll admit, that's a first."

  She opened her mouth to reply, but Lorcan beat her to it. "You don't want to know why we're late, Orla. Trust me on this."

  Her mother leaned on her cane. "Oh, aye? Defiling her again, I reckon."

  "Mother!"

  Orla winked. "There's nothing to be ashamed of. I had my own secret rendezvous at your age. The young think we stop at forty. I think it's because they can't handle the truth."

  She sighed. "Can we talk about anything else? How's Teagan doing?"

  Waving a hand in dismissal, her mother answered, "Fine, fine. Although Caruso is going to drive her to quitting her position and running away if he doesn't learn to back off."

  "Most males are that way. He'll learn. After all, Teagan isn't one to mince words."

  "Do I get a say in how males act?" Lorcan asked.

  "No," Caitlin and her mother answered in unison.

  Sighing, Lorcan shook his head. Caitlin was about to excuse them from her mother when Molly Caruso—Aaron's mother—caught her eye and waved.

  Looking back at Orla, Caitlin said, "Sorry, Mam, but I promised Molly we'd discuss a few things. We'll catch up with you later."

  "I imagine so." Her mother pierced Lorcan with a stare. "Try to leave without saying goodbye, and I'll find a reason to visit Northcastle and stay for weeks."

  Lorcan raised his brows. "What, and lose your ability to criticize everyone and give orders when you feel like it? I somehow doubt it."

  "Cheeky sod," Orla said with a smile. "Now, go on then."

  She and Lorcan made it to Molly's side. As Caitlin embraced the other dragonwoman, she murmured, "It's good to see you."

  Molly released her. "I'm not fond of big gatherings, but I knew you'd be here. I also want to keep an eye on Aaron, in case he starts to upset Teagan."

  She glanced at her daughter and her mate. At present, they were laughing. "Maybe now's a good time to say hello to them, while they're in a good mood. And maybe snag Killian and his mate along the way, so we can have all our children together for a brief moment."

  Molly bobbed her head. "Then we can sneak to a corner of the room and discuss ideas for the baby shower."

  Even though baby showers were mostly a human thing, Molly had mentioned the one for Evie Marshall back on Stonefire and both females thought it would be a good way to honor their first grandchild.

  Caitlin didn't even need to look at Lorcan to know he'd follow her. He couldn't care less about baby showers and the crafts she wanted to do for it, but he merely wanted to spend time with her.

  Her dragon spoke up. Too bad Georgiana is ill, or we'd have everyone in one place.

  I know. But that just gives me an excuse to invite Teagan, Killian, and their mates to Northcastle.

  As they approached Killian and Brenna, Lorcan wrapped an arm around Killian's shoulders and forced him to walk. "Come, son. Your mother wants everyone together."

  "She's not going to take a family photo again, is she?" Killian asked warily.

  Caitlin jumped in. "Not this time. But once the weather turns better, I want one with all of us in our dragon forms."

  Brenna grinned. "I think that's a brilliant idea. Maybe we could even use it as a promotional photo, to show how a family spanning three clans gets along."

  Killian sighed. "I can already tell that protesting is going to fall on deaf ears."

  Lorcan slapped Killian's shoulder. "You're still young, but you'll learn soon enough to pick your battles."

  Killian grunted, but thankfully didn't argue. Her son and Lorcan had grudgingly learned to respect one another over the last few months. She suspected one day, they might even enjoy being in each other's company.

  Ascending the stairs of the dais, Caitlin picked up her pace. Spotting her arrival, Teagan stood. As Caitlin held her daughter close, she said, "How're you feeling, darling?"

  "I'm fine, Mam." Teagan released her. "No one's challenged me yet and I'm determined to keep my position even after the baby's born."

  Aaron grunted. "Bloody too right you will."

  Killian nodded. "Say the word, and I'll be back to defend your place."

  Teagan rolled her eyes. "I'm fairly good at this clan leader thing." She smiled. "But if I need help, I'll be sure to ask for it."

  As Aaron and Killian started planning what they wanted to do to any challengers, Caitlin merely smiled and leaned against Lorcan's chest. His arms went around her automatically and she was content to watch in silence, basking in the warmth and love of her mate.

  Her years of worrying about looking after her children were gone. She'd raised two brilliant, fierce dragon-shifters, who now had their own responsibilities and mates to look after. Which meant she could spend the rest of her days spoiling grandchildren and traveling with her mate once he retired.

  Caitlin had never thought she'd find a second chance at happiness with a male she loved. While her first mate, Kieran, would always hold a special place in her heart, she adored Lorcan, too. True mate or not, she loved him and looked forward to making many new memories in the future.

  *~*~*~*

  Did you enjoy this story? Then please consider leaving a review. :)

  The next story in the Stonefire Dragons series will be about Zain and Ivy (the human who brought the flash drive and who fell into a coma). It'll be called Persuading the Dragon and should be out in March 2019. While that seems far away, there are two Lochguard stories out before then. Finn and Arabella's follow-up novella, The Dragon Family, will be out in May 2018. And Alistair Boyd's book, The Dragon's Discovery, will be out in Fall 2018. While waiting, you may want to check out my science fiction romance series. A preview of the first book, The Conquest, will be right after the Author's Note and the blurb for The Dragon Family.

  Author’s Note

  I hope you enjoyed Killian and Brenna's story. I was a little nervous because it's so different from my other dragon stories, but my early readers seemed to love it. I hope you did, too. :) And if you didn't catch it, the second epilogue is actually the same epilogue from Aiding the Dragon (Teagan and Aaron's story), but in a different point of view. Hopefully it helped to fill in some of the gaps! I don't foresee any more stories about the Glenlough clan members in the near future (if at all). But don't worry, you'll be hearing from them, for sure. I'm trying to think of a way to get Orla and Aunt Lorna in the same room, because that's something I think we all want to see!

  There were several new stories set up in this book, but Zain and Ivy's story will be next. A Protector interrogator and a human woman who had been forced to work with the Dragon Knights. Considering what happened to Zain's friend, Charlie, it'll be interesting to see how they get there! I also hope to write about Adrian and Blake in their own books respectively, but I almost never know which book comes next until I finish the current one. Also, there will be a Lochguard foster coming to Stonefire soon, too.

  Okay, with that out of the way I have some people I need to thank for helping me to get this book out to the world:

  To Becky Johnson and her team at Hot Tree Editing—you all are amazing. Becky gets me and helps my stories to shine.

  To Clarissa Yeo of Yocla Designs—you yet again designed a beautiful cover that captures my couple perfectly. I couldn’t imagine my series without your talent and vision.r />
  To Donna H., Alyson S., Iliana G., Sabrina D., and Sandy H.—My beta readers are amazing and provide valuable honesty. Not only that, they catch the little typos that slip through. All of you are appreciated more than you know. <3

  And as always, I thank you, the reader, for supporting my dragons this long. While at some point stories about the current generation will have to end, we're not there yet. (Although I *am* eager to write about all the babies grown up!) Thanks a million times from my heart for not only reading, but also spreading the word. Word-of-mouth is more powerful than you think. And if you want a whole new way to experience my dragons, then maybe check out my audiobooks. There’s nothing better than listening to my Irish narrator and his take on dragon-shifters for hours… ;)

  My release after this book will be The Dragon Family (Lochguard Highland Dragons #5), about Finn and Arabella and it will be out on May 15, 2018. However, if you’re curious about my alien romance series, The Forbidden (Kelderan Runic Warriors #4, about Kalahn and Ryven), will be out in July 2018.

  Thanks so much for reading and I hope to see you at the end of the next book.

  Coming soon, the long-awaited follow-up story for Finn and Arabella…

  The Dragon Family

  (Lochguard Highland Dragons #5)

  **This isn't a standalone story. Please read at least Healed by the Dragon (Stonefire Dragons #4) first. I would highly suggest reading the other books in the Lochguard series as well.**

  For Finlay Stewart, being a dragon-shifter clan leader is easy compared to managing his family…

  Finn is trying his best to work and protect his clan on little sleep; having triplets is his toughest challenge to date. But with his mate Arabella at his side, he finds a way to manage. However, as things start to spiral out of control with a pregnant cousin, another cousin constantly containing a mate-claim frenzy, and another driving his eight months’ pregnant mate crazy, Finn worries that the clan may think he’s incompetent. So his next mission is to find a way to ensure everyone behaves and toes the line. The only problem is that the MacKenzies are a stubborn lot and Finn may be in over his head.