by Julia Mills
On the ground and making their way through an incredibly dense forest towards the lair of the Blue Thunder Clan, she wondered how she was going to avoid the giant of a man that had flown halfway around the world to avoid her. No matter what Devon had said, she knew she was the reason he’d left. Just to confirm that fact, there were times she would get a glimpse of what he was feeling or thinking. She quickly learned that the difference between what he felt towards her when he was awake and what he felt when was sleeping or had let his guard down was as different as night and day. Not that she had a clue what to do about it.
When he was awake, he pushed all thoughts of her as far from his consciousness as possible, and when that wasn’t possible, she felt how angry and frustrated he became. It was like he was being forced to listen to techno music after an all-night bender…shitty. But when he was asleep, she felt affection, attraction, the desire to get to know her better, and the need to protect her at all costs. She had spent hour after hour wondering what it all meant and had even contemplated talking to Siobhan, Devon’s mom and their clan’s Elder Healer, about it. No matter how many times Kyra came into contact with the older woman, she was impressed with her compassion and the acceptance she felt from her, however, Kyra had never gotten around to it and she was out of time. In the next hour or so she would be face to face with the man. If he had not been in danger, there was no way she would be anywhere around him. He had made his feelings known and there was no way she was forcing herself on him. It was a ‘take care of business and get the hell out’ situation.
Before she could sink any farther into her self-examination, a strange feeling fell over her. She felt covered with a sick slimy feeling that literally tried to invade her pores. It was as if she walked through motor oil flowing from a waterfall. Each step she took made it harder to breathe. Her feet felt like they were tied to bricks. Kyra stumbled and reached forward, using Aaron’s back for support. The Guardsman spun around with a half-smile, obviously ready to tease, but his expression immediately changed when he saw her struggle to stand.
“Kyra,” he reached out to keep her from falling forward. “What the…”
She couldn’t make out what came next and she fell to the ground, tearing the backpack from her shoulder. Aaron knelt down in front of her, still obviously shouting, trying to get an answer to what was happening, but she was unable to make out any of his words. In her peripheral vision, she could see the others, spread out in a circle, protecting her from whatever seemed to be coming just for her. She searched her bag for the protection against the onslaught of the black magic that she was coming to recognize. It had a signature all its own, one of betrayal, hate, and retribution.
Finally, at the bottom of her bag, her fingers touched the cool silver disc she sought. Snatching it out, she let her bag fall to the side and shoved her head through the leather strap attached to the powerful Protection amulet she always made sure was charged and close at hand.
The instant weight of the ancient pendant touched the center of her chest the oppressive weight began to lift. She counted to ten and was finally able to draw her first full, clean breath. When her vision cleared, Aaron was kneeling in front of her, hands on her shoulders, gripping just shy of the point of pain and repeating her name over and over.
She put one hand on his and tried to smile, “I’m okay.” Her voice sounded scratchy even to her ears, confirming that she had been sucking air like a fish out of water during her battle with the dark magic.
She swallowed and continued to reassure her protector and the others she knew were still standing guard, “Seriously, I’m okay, but Andrew is close and he’s not alone. He’s attempting to work a serious Barrier spell. I must have walked right through the perimeter he set. One second I was breathing the beautiful fresh scent of the sea and the next I felt like I was drowning in motor oil.”
The Guardsmen turned to face her and listened intently to the information she had about the traitor. Aaron stood and the spot he vacated was filled with the Dragon Guard Commander, Rayne. He looked at her intently with a look of concern mixed with anger in his deep violet eyes. When he spoke it was the voice of a commander, not the voice of Kyndel’s caring mate or Jay’s loving father that she was used to. “Are you sure you’re alright?”
“Yeah, I’m sure.” She smiled her best ‘it’ll be okay’ smile and made sure it reached her eyes. “But I’m getting damn tired of this son of a bitch sneaking up on me and knocking me on my ass. I have my pride ya’ know?”
The Commander smiled and the tension level all around her dropped a notch. Before anyone could interrupt, she continued, “He’s not far, no more than twenty miles away, and he’s not alone.” She closed her eyes and imagined the face of the traitor, the man she had believed needed her help all those months ago but only gave her what he seemed to give everyone…betrayal.
“There are at least eight of them using magic, maybe others. I can’t read anyone non-magical while they’re working the spell. They’re using blood magic, but it doesn’t feel like they performed the sacrifice here.”
She grew silent as she realized they were merely warming up. Her eyes opened of their own volition and she saw five fierce warriors hanging on her every word. Damn! No pressure, she thought to herself.
“He’s only working a Barrier spell. It’ll take most of the night to complete and it’s meant to seal anything that draws breath within its confines. We need to find Royce and get everyone out from behind the barrier that little piece of shit is building.”
As she stood up, she was struck with a thought, “Hey! Don’t any of you big lugs feel the effects of the spell…at all?” She felt her eyes grow wide but couldn’t help her surprise as they all shook their heads.
“Well, damn I knew you guys were strong and dragon magic was nothing to mess with but…well…” She rubbed her hands down her face, still in awe of the vast amount of power surrounding her. “Just damn…that’s all I got.”
Laughter rang through the forest as she gathered up her backpack and secured it on her shoulder. Devon handed her a bottle of water, a concerned look still haunting his grey eyes. “You sure you’re okay? That’s the second time in just a few hours you’ve taken a fall.”
Kyra swatted his shoulder and teased, “Way to make a girl feel special, Dev.”
At least he had the decency to look embarrassed, because Aaron and Lance chose that moment to pick on her like the big brothers she had always wished for. “Yeah, little witch,” Lance joked, using the nickname he knew irritated her the most. “Your ass has been hitting the ground a lot lately.”
“I hear you’ve taken to fainting, ‘Sarcastic Little Witch of the South’. All this raw power makes you swoon, huh?” Aaron teased and she wondered when Lance had found the time to tell them all about her new ‘title’.
“Swoon my ass, dragon man,” she laughed.
Before they could continue their banter, Rayne spoke, “Alright, there’ll be time for this shit later. Right now we need to get to Royce and Rian and see what we can do about evacuating the area.” He pointed to Aidan, who had been suspiciously silent during the whole incident, “’A’, you take the lead.” He looked from man to man, “Lance to Kyra’s right, Devon to her left, Aaron and I will take the rear. Let’s get moving.”
She felt the weight of the Commander’s stare right before he spoke, “Kyra, let me know if you feel anything unusual. I want no more sneak attacks and I want Andrew’s head on a pike,” he finished on a growl with a look of utter contempt and untold anger in his eyes.
“Absolutely,” was all she could get out before he disappeared behind her and they started to move forward.
That is one pissed off dragon, was all she thought as they marched towards Royce, hoping they could stop whatever the traitor had planned.
Exactly one hour later, she felt the familiar sensation associated with the mind speak of the Dragon Guard. Curious by nature, it always bothered her when she knew they were talking but couldn’t h
ear it. She smiled when she remembered that her Auntie Della had told her how dragon mates shared special abilities and that one day she would share everything with hers. Her smile fell as she realized that was not what the future held for her. If she was not mistaken, and she was sure she wasn’t, her mate would rather eat nails than share anything with her. Stop your fucking whining, Kyra. Now is not the time, she thought to herself.
Rayne’s voice sounded from behind. “I finally got a hold of Rian. He said Royce is on the outer edge of the lair, holed up in a cave.”
She felt a whoosh of air as he sped past her, “I’ll lead the way and Rian will meet us on the other side. Let’s go.”
Their hike continued and the buzzing from their mind speak rose higher and higher until she was sure she could reach out and grab the words. She concentrated on the flow of energy and found one strand more intense than the others. Following it, she found Aidan, his blue eyes turbulent with worry and anger. Not wanting to disturb him, but desperate to know who he was trying to connect with, she followed the trail as far as it went. There at the end was not a face, but a huge inky stain filled with pure malevolence and contempt. The emotions coming from the horrible mass of evil made Kyra feel dirty from the inside out. Just as she was about to retreat, she sensed a familiar signature, one she despised more with every passing second. It was Andrew. Aidan was trying to track his treacherous brother through the special link between brothers, searching for the one that had caused so much pain to so many he loved. It was then that she knew why he had been so quiet and withdrawn; Aidan was seeking out the little bastard, and if the powerfully hostile feelings were any indication, Aidan intended to end his brother’s life if given the chance.
Feeling like a Peeping Tom and sure that she had time to keep Aidan from making a mistake he couldn’t take back, Kyra pulled back, but kept a small foothold in the brothers’ connection. If Aidan found Andrew before they did and tried to act without his brethren, she would know and would do whatever it took to ensure the traitor’s capture without harm to the living. Andrew had to pay for what he had done, but not at the cost of any of the souls of the people she had come to think of as family.
It only took about fifteen minutes longer before Rayne gave the sign to stop. Kyra looked around in the dark for signs of someone other than the Force she traveled alongside. As she looked towards the skies, she realized the sun would rise in less than an hour and sent a prayer to the Goddess for everyone's safety. She’d never been an incredibly spiritual person, other than her magical connection to the Goddess and the Universe, but standing alongside the fiercest warriors she’d ever known, ready to battle one of their own turned traitor, made her realize how much she had truly come to care for each and every one of them and all they held dear. More than that was the understanding that even though all of them, including her, were incredibly hard to kill, they were not immortal. She knew there was no way she would allow one of her new friends to fall to the traitor that spread death and disaster like it was pixie dust. Andrew thought he could best them with magic. The arrogant prick thought he could best her. He was overconfident and cocky and she would bring him down.
No matter what she thought about her mother, she had to give Calysta credit for one thing; she had taught Kyra to fight and fight was what she would do. Fight for her friends. Fight for the magic that Andrew abused. And even fight for the hard-headed giant that refused to accept their fate. Andrew was in for a surprise in the form of a five-foot two pissed as shit white witch. Watch out shithead. I’m coming for you, she thought as hard as she could toward the thread that lead to the traitor. She wanted him to know she was coming and she wanted him scared.
“Well, you lot look like you’re about to do something stupid. Mind if I tag along?” The sound of an unfamiliar voice with a slight accent pulled her from her mental assault on the traitor.
Her anxiety lessened when she saw Rayne embrace the stranger and when he called him ‘Rian’, she knew she was looking at the back of Royce’s older brother. The man was the tallest person she had ever seen. He stood more than a head taller than the leader of the Dragon Guard Force and Rayne was over a foot taller than she was; just another reminder that she was the shortest person in the world. Rian turned towards the group and Kyra gasped at the incredible family resemblance. It was absolutely uncanny, but the longer she looked, the more obvious the differences became. His hair was an auburn, not bright red, and his eyes were a glowing blue instead of the warm brown she liked to sneak glances at when Royce wasn’t paying attention. She knew from her vision that Rian was a good inch taller than his younger brother, and now that she had a closer look, she verified that he was long and lean, where Royce was bulk and muscle and possessed a raw power that made her tingle all over, even when she tried with all her might to ignore it.
When he spoke, she felt none of electricity that even a grunt from Royce caused. “Thank you so much for coming. I have no clue what threatens us this evening, but I am grateful that you have come to help protect those I hold dear.”
“We are going to stay hidden in the caves and give Kyra a chance to work her magic for any clues about our enemies while we prepare our defense,” Rayne explained.
In the blink of eye, Rian was standing next to Kyra and had her hand in his. He greeted her like the gentleman of old with a chaste kiss to the back of her hand, but the wink was all cocky dragon shifter. She could tell he was messing with her, but she was unsure how not to offend the Head Elder and brother of the man who occupied too many of her thoughts. When he spoke, she was sure he was just trying to get a rise out of her, “You are even lovelier in person.” He stepped back and looked from her toes to her head and back down again, “And just the tiniest little thing I have ever seen.”
Rian stepped towards her again, gripping her hands a tad tighter. “And you are a strong little witch, aren’t you?”
Before she could respond, Devon stepped towards them and clapped Rian on the back. “Stop teasing her, Ri. She’s had a rough couple of hours and she’s here to help. We wouldn’t have even known about the threat without her.”
Devon turned towards Kyra as he skillfully removed her hand from Rian and moved her back a step. “Ignore Rian, he’s trying to get a rise out of his little brother. Isn’t that right, Royce?”
She spun around like a child’s top and found the man that had done everything possible to avoid her standing not twenty feet away with the same look of disdain she remembered from their last encounter. Before she could think of a smart ass comment to save face, Rian chuckled, “I knew the little platinum-haired beauty would bring you down from your perch, little brother.”
Fuck! Now why did he have to go and do that? was all she could think as the woods rang with men’s laughter.
CHAPTER TWO
Royce zeroed in on the face that had haunted his every thought for the last two weeks. Kyra was absolutely the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her lightly tanned skin begged to be touched and at the moment, the full pink lips that he had dreamed of tasting more times than he cared to admit, were drawn in a tight line, but still so very tempting. He tried to look away, but her curvy figure that made his fingers itch with the need to explore and experience every erotic inch drew his eyes. Her strength, independence, and power literally filled the air around her and were the complete opposite of her petite height. He thought about throwing her over his shoulder and taking her far away from all problems that loomed in front of them, but that wasn’t reasonable or logical and damn sure wouldn’t change the past.
He watched as she looked everywhere but at him and his heart hurt at the discomfort he caused her. If only she wasn’t a witch. He would welcome her with open arms and enjoy every minute of eternity with her, but the fact remained that she was a witch, and there was no way in hell he was going to be bound to anyone with the capacity to turn on the people they love at a moment’s notice and the power to take their life without thought. He shoved the thoughts of his mate to the back
of his mind and focused on the men he called brethren and the brother he wanted to punch. Rayne swatted his arm, “How have you been, my friend? I have missed you.”
“I’ve been fine, just trying to keep this loser in line.” He looked towards his brother and noticed Kyra had moved farther to the back of the group.
“Oh yeah, he’s been a lot of help. Hiding out in the caves, staying in dragon form for days at a time and brooding over his beloved.” Rian cackled as the words Royce had prayed his brother would keep to himself, spewed from his mouth.
Of course, his brethren joined in the fun and Royce was left to play along when all he wanted to do was punch Rian in the mouth and get back to his nice, isolated cave. With the hopes of changing the subject from his recent brooding, he asked, “So what brings all of you here. Need a field trip?”
“No, Kyra was finally able to track Andrew. She had a vision that literally knocked her on her ass and it led us here…to you.” The same shit-eating grin that Royce had seen on Lance’s face for the better part of ninety years threatened his hard fought patience on this occasion more than it ever had. Just as he was about to tell his brethren to go to hell, what Lance actually said reached his muddled brain and his natural instincts along with his dragon took over.
In the span of two seconds, his need to protect his mate overrode his doubts and his common sense. Using his enhanced speed, Royce moved to Kyra, snatched her up and landed on the ridge over the cave he was calling home in less than a minute. He held her close, drew her unique scent into his being and reveled in the peace he felt for the first time since he had laid eyes on the witch. How could something so wrong, feel so absolutely perfect? he wondered to himself.
