by Jan Dockter
Aldain reached over and pulled Tori to him, embracing her as he bent his head to kiss her. Every time he touched her, his body and his dragon wanted to make love to her. He never tired of the feel of her.
Tori had been exhausted of late. It seemed like she could never get enough sleep. She hated feeling that way, but today was a better day. She felt like she had her old energy back. She leaned back and put Aldain’s head in her lap so she could play with his hair. She loved curling it around her fingers. “I’m so glad we’re here. I’ve missed taking our walks. Since Becca and Cade left, with just the two of us, the castle seems so empty.”
Aldain felt a twinge of guilt. He really should be spending more time with her. “I’m sorry, love. I’m just trying to finish something before Saturday. I’ll try to put some time away each day to spend with you.”
Tori was glad to hear that but was also curious. “Why Saturday?” she asked. “What’s happening on that day?”
Aldain smiled at her. “Well, for one thing, we are going to visit Carrie and Malcolm. We were invited to a small gathering they are having.”
Tori was delighted. “Oh, wow! I am so excited. I get to visit my best friend and get to see the island you grew up on. How long are we going to be there?”
Aldain wasn’t quite sure how to answer. It would depend on what he discovered after finishing the tome and whether Carrie wanted to accept her role.
“I know we’ll be there for several days. I have a huge house there that was made for the clan chief. Malcolm lives there since he is acting chief, but I stay there too when I’m there.”
Tori couldn’t wait to see the island and Carrie. She was going to explore every inch of the land.
Aldain smiled as he heard all the plans Tori was making. While they were on the subject of Carrie, Aldain thought this was an appropriate time to ask Tori about the abilities Carrie had. He ran a hand lovingly down Tori’s face as he said, “How long have you and Carrie known each other anyway?”
Tori thought for a minute. “We’ve known each other since we were two years old. She’s more like a sister than a friend. We grew up together. Why do you ask?”
Aldain sat up. “Malcolm found out something interesting about her. He found she could ‘feel’ people’s feelings. There was a young man that had been hurt, and she was able to follow his energy force and find him. She could also see Malcolm’s dragon. Has she always had this ability to feel what someone is feeling?”
Tori screwed her face up. “Well, yes, she’s always been able to do weird stuff like that. Once, when there were arsons being committed in town, businesses being set on fire, she had a vision and saw which building the arsonist was going to torch next. She told the police about it. They were skeptical but had an officer hide out in the building anyway. He caught the arsonist on the roof just as he was about to set it on fire. Carrie can also heal. Her entire family seems to have gifts. Her sister Shanna is one of the strongest empaths I have ever met. Her brother can see auras. He can tell at a glance how someone is feeling and if they are a good person or not. It seems to run in her family.”
Aldain was surprised. He’d never heard of an entire family having abilities.
Tori continued. “I’m not surprised she was able to see Malcolm’s dragon. I’m glad to know she knows about the dragon shifters. Did Malcolm say what her reaction was when she found out?”
Aldain smiled. “Well, they’re mates, so she was excited. Malcolm said she loves everything magical and paranormal.”
“Oh, she does. She always has. I can’t believe they are mates, but I’m happy to hear it. I guess that means she isn’t going to be leaving then. I know when I see her she’s going to have lots to tell me. It’s going to make waiting for Saturday that much harder, but I will be a good mate and force myself to be patient.”
Aldain laughed, “I know you will, love. I know patience isn’t something you have a lot of. There is something else I think you should know. Malcolm and I think she is a Chosen One.” He continued to tell her what he knew about them and why he was spending so much time in his study trying to finish the tome by the time they left.
Tori looked worried. “That sounds like a lot of responsibility and possibly dangerous. What does Carrie think about that? I know she has always considered what she has more of a curse than a gift. I can’t see her wanting to put anyone at risk.”
Aldain shrugged. “I have no idea. I haven’t talked to her about it. I wanted to find out exactly what their responsibilities are before I do that. It has been so long since any clan had one. It isn’t something Clan Chiefs teach their sons.”
Tori was worried for her friend. She didn’t envy her. It wasn’t something she’d want to do, but knowing Carrie, she would look at it from every angle before deciding. She took her abilities very seriously, as much as she hated them.
The days seemed to drag by for Tori. The night before they were supposed to leave, she couldn’t sleep. She had everything packed that night. Aldain decided they would travel by boat. Tori’s clothes took up several suitcases. Aldain bit his tongue when he saw the amount of clothes she was taking. He learned early not to say anything about the amount of clothes Tori owned. They had clothing shops on the island. She could buy clothes there but he refrained from reminding her of that fact. She was like a hoarder when it came to her clothes.
Saturday arrived and Aldain and Tori left early. It wouldn’t take them long to arrive on the island once they left Edinburgh. As they got closer to the island, Tori got more excited. Looking at it from the water, it was beautiful. As they arrived at the dock, Tori could see Malcolm and Carrie waiting for them. Tori rushed to Carrie and hugged her tightly. They were so happy to see each other, and they stood there hugging and crying. There was so much they needed to tell each other.
Aldain and Malcolm looked at each other and shrugged. Dragon shifter or not, sometimes they found women hard to figure out. As Tori and Carrie began talking, their mates heaved the luggage into the van. Aldain had warned Malcolm of the amount of luggage Tori brought and told him to bring the van—it would never fit in a car.
As they loaded the van, Malcolm raised his brows at Aldain. Aldain looked at Malcolm and whispered, “Trust me, don’t ask. It will get you in a world of trouble.”
Malcolm laughed. Aldain was as dominant as a male could be, yet his little five-foot-nothing wife could bring him down a notch. Carrie told him Tori was a fire cracker, and from Aldain’s remark, he believed it.
Tori and Carrie decided to ride in back as Aldain and Malcolm rode up front. The two men were busy talking clan business as Carrie and Tori caught up.
Carrie looked Tori over with a frown and said, “Why are you looking so tired? You have bags under your eyes. Are you feeling okay?”
Tori shrugged. “I have no idea what is wrong with me. Lately I am always tired. I sleep all the time, but it never seems to be enough. I hope visiting here will help me get my energy back. I have plans on checking out this entire island with you.”
Carrie just had to tell her best friend about her and Malcolm. “Did you know that Malcolm and I are mates?”
“I do, and I’m so happy for you both. I know Malcolm is getting a prize for a mate, but I know he’ll take care of you. Dragon shifters are so protective of their mates. They love so deeply and unconditionally it makes you feel like you are the only woman on earth for them.”
Tori and Carrie heard Malcolm and Aldain say in unison. “You are!” That gave each woman such a cherished feeling. Both men could feel the love coming from their mates.
It wasn’t long before they arrived at Magda’s house. Magda had fixed a place in the back of the house for their get together. She had set out a large table and chairs on the back patio. The table was full of food, and the Adairs were there.
As Malcolm and Carrie walked to the back, the Adairs stood. After everyone was introduced, Mrs. Adair was the first to hug Carrie.
“I can’t tell you enough how grateful we are that you
found our son. He’s here because of you. If there is anything I can do for you, just ask.”
Carrie was a little embarrassed at the attention but thanked her and told her she was glad everything worked out the way it did. Mr. Adair walked up to Carrie and gave her a huge bouquet of baby roses of assorted colors. He also hugged her.
Malcolm growled at another man touching his mate. His dragon didn’t like it at all. Mr. Adair heard it and swiftly stepped away. He had never heard a man growl like that before, but he knew a warning when he heard one. Bobby Adair kept his distance. He told Carrie he barely remembered what had happened, but he did catch a glimpse of her. He thought she was an angel sent to bring him to heaven. Carrie blushed. She gave him a hug, much to Malcolm’s displeasure. She told him how glad she was that he healed from his wounds.
Everyone sat down to a feast. They all enjoyed each other’s company. Malcolm kept an eye on the young Bobby Adair. He saw some hero worship in his eyes when it came to Carrie. His protective instincts were in overdrive. He stayed close by her side.
Carrie shot Malcolm a questioning look. She didn’t understand why he was staying so close to her. Bobby Adair was just a boy. She couldn’t believe he would be jealous of him. She wondered if it was the over protectiveness Tori had told her about.
It was getting late in the day and everybody had enjoyed themselves and were stuffed. Even though there had been large quantities of food laid out, there wasn’t much left. Carrie was surprised at the amount of food Malcolm and Aldain could put away. Everyone helped clean up, and the Adairs thanked everyone for their hospitality before leaving. Aldain, Malcolm, Tori, and Carrie sat outside to discuss what Aldain had found out about the Chosen One.
“I read the entire tome. There are some words I don’t understand that seem to be some kind of warning. If I remember correctly, it went, ‘Beware the serpent alive once more. She will take the last Chosen One through death’s door. Her command she will obey, so she can live another day.’ I have no idea what it means. From what I can gather, the Chosen One lives among the clan like everyone else, living a normal life. The difference is the Chosen One will have visions about the clan if there is a danger, which she reports to the clan chief. She also becomes the clan healer, she can heal dragon shifters in human or dragon form. There is a ritual a Chosen One goes through. She must be pure of heart and the goddess Athena has to accept her. I’m sure Carrie is meant to be a Chosen One after she saw Malcolm’s dragon. I have talked to a friend of mine who lives in Athens. His name is Stavros Floros, and his mate’s name is Dimitra. She studies ancient languages. She’s trying to decipher what those words might mean. I’m almost certain the Cailleach has something to do with Carrie’s sleep walking. The only way to know for certain is to take her there and see if it was her.”
Malcolm shivered. He hated the idea of going to see her. “Carrie, I know we never set a date for the mating ritual, but if we’re going to see the Cailleach, I want us to be mated before that happens. Would you mind if we kept the service small and had it within a few days? I know it is short notice and that you may have wanted a big service. We can still do that if you want to do it again later. I just don’t feel you’ll be safe going to see the Cailleach without being mated.”
Carrie sat for a moment, deep in thought. “It doesn’t matter to me, Malcolm, whether we’re married tonight or two nights from now. I don’t need a big service. I understand you want to protect me, and the truth is, I want that myself. I’ll have the mating ritual as soon as you can get whatever is needed for it together.”
Malcolm sighed in relief. “Aldain, being the clan chief, can do the ritual? Carrie, you can have Tori as your maid of honor, but what about your family? We could never get them here in time.”
Carrie smiled at him, thinking how sweet he was to worry about her family. “We can have that service you talked about later. They’ll never know the difference.”
Aldain set the ceremony for the next day. Since it was going to be small, there wasn’t much to be done. He would perform it later in the day because Tori insisted they go shop for something new for Carrie to wear. The shops were open half a day on Sundays, and Aldain knew Tori could probably hit every one of them if she had to.
The next morning while Tori and Carrie were shopping, Aldain and Malcolm set up the patio. It might be a small ceremony, but there was no reason it couldn’t be a beautiful one. Both men went into the garden and found flowers of assorted colors, setting them up on the table and making a trellis out of vines and flowers for the couple to stand under. They found scented candles that smelled of heather and lilacs. Malcolm made it to a jeweler to find a ring. The ring had two hearts intertwined, made from blue sapphires, the color of his dragon.
Magda had a surprise herself. In a small case, she had one of Malcolm’s blue scales made into a beautiful necklace. It was surrounded by small diamonds, also in the shape of a heart. The blue scale shimmered in the sunlight.
Malcolm looked at his mother in surprise. “I had it made shortly after Carrie came. I had a feeling this was going to happen and I wanted her to have it.”
Malcolm hugged his mother. She was an amazing woman, his Ma. He was honored to be her son, and her gift brought a lump to his throat.
Malcolm had also gotten in touch with his father the night before. He wanted him at the ceremony if possible. Aldain gave him permission to cut his meeting in Australia short so he could attend. He also called John. Since Aldain was performing the ceremony, he needed a best man.
Tori had exactly one hour before they had to head back. They had checked out several shops, but they hadn’t seen anything they liked. They came to the last shop before they had to leave. Tori prayed they could find something here. As they walked through the aisles Tori saw the most beautiful dress. It was made of chiffon, the color of lavender. It had a skirt that split mid-thigh. Attached to it were two pieces of cloth that left the midriff bare and crossed over the breasts and attached to the skirt in a criss-cross pattern down the back. There were sequins covering the skirt and shoulder pieces. It was a gorgeous dress. Tori showed it to Carrie and she loved it. It was unconventional for a wedding dress but not for a mating ritual. She quickly paid for the dress.
Carrie complained, “Tori, Malcolm gave me plenty of money to pay for the dress.”
Tori replied, “Consider it a wedding present from me.”
Carrie thanked her as they left, barely getting back in time for her to get ready.
Malcolm’s father had arrived earlier and was eager to meet Carrie. Aldain’s mother was also invited. The entire group consisted of Magda, Malcolm, his father William, Aldain, Aldain’s mother Heather, John, Tori, and Carrie. With Tori’s help, Carrie got ready quickly.
Malcolm stood under the trellis he and Aldain had made. Carrie thought the work the two men had put into the décor was impressive, given the short amount of time they had.
As Carrie walked out, Malcolm couldn’t believe how beautiful she looked. Her dress hugged her in all the right places. He got light-headed when he saw her. In a matter of minutes, he was going to be mated to the most beautiful woman on earth.
William MacMurray offered Carrie his arm. She smiled at him. Since her family wasn’t there, it had been decided he would be a stand-in for her father. He walked her under the trellis and put her hand in Malcolm’s, giving her a wink as he turned to join the others.
Aldain performed the ritual, and Malcolm repeated the words that every dragon shifter had spoken at their mating rituals since their creation.
When he was done, Carrie repeated: “I, Carrie Demarko, do agree to become the mate of Malcolm MacMurray, an honored member of the Paragon Dragon Clan. I will love him for eternity and stand by his side during good and troubled times. I will love him with all that I am and ever will be. I will become one with him. I will become one heart and soul intertwined with his for as long as the stars shine. I am his and he is mine. Nothing on this earth or the heavens will change this.”
&
nbsp; Aldain then pronounced them mates. Even though they had kissed before, going through the mating ritual made it seem like a first kiss. When Malcolm kissed Carrie, he could feel the energy from his body wrap around Carrie. It felt like it was connecting them together. His dragon roared at his victory in finding his mate, and Malcolm’s body felt like it was humming. Carrie could feel her body responding to his. She felt tendrils of energy, like ropes, leaving her body, weaving around his. Both coils of energy entwined, splitting then going into both. They now shared a part of each other’s life force, a bond that would connect them both for the rest of their lives. Malcolm’s life force would result in Carrie living a very long life because dragon shifters lived for hundreds of years and their mates did too.
Chapter Eight
Aldain told the couple to enjoy their night together. In the morning they were going to see the Cailleach. Malcolm tried to forget about that as he took his mate to his mansion. Since they were now mates, she was moving out of his parents’ house and into the mansion. It was the house made for the head of the clan that he lived in as acting chief. When Aldain and Tori arrived, Aldain told Malcolm he and Carrie could live there. Aldain was going to be there for some time, but he considered his castle his permanent residence.
Malcolm had moved all of Carrie’s things in their room the night before the ritual. It was a beautiful room. It had a huge king bed in the middle, with a sitting room off to the side. It had a full bathroom with double sinks and a separate shower and tub. There was an outside patio that followed the length of the room. The view was breathtaking. You could see the ocean with a beach of white sand. The lapping of the waves gave him a calming effect. Carrie hadn’t seen it yet. Malcolm hoped she liked it, as he felt it was the best room in the mansion.
