by Lori King
The longer he chanted, the brighter and hotter the light grew until the gem was literally vibrating in the old wizard’s hand and Kyran’s dragon was roaring. Magic beat at the Guardsman from both inside and out. His body shook. His muscles tensed and contracted, attempting to contort as the beast within his soul fought to be set free, to destroy the one trying to put him in a cage... ultimately to destroy him.
Sweat poured down Kyran’s body. He fought to catch his breath. His vision blurred. On and on the wizard chanted, working toward a crescendo that had blood pouring from the Phantom’s eyes and ears, running down his naked body, coating the burning symbols that had just appeared on his chest. All at once, as if a switch had been flipped, the light extinguished and the wizard dropped to the ground. Darkness, thick and complete, filled the cell. Silence echoed through his stone prison. Both man and dragon breathed a sigh of relief that the spell had stopped, but immediately felt a significant loss of magic flowing between the two.
“Ye filthy bitch. Shoow yer face,” Kyran bellowed. “Ye send this wretch in tae bespell me? Ye think ye kin stop me?” He tugged at his chains, kicked at the floor beneath his toes, and, using all his remaining strength, fueled by his fury, pulled his bruised and battered body up until he was eye level with the shackles binding his wrists. Shouting the words he knew would bring his captors running, Kyran roared, “Ah’ll see ye dead, Eve, ye filthy mongrel. Ah'll bathe in yer blood!”
The huge steel reinforced door to his prison flew open. In ran eight hunters, dressed in black, faces covered as always, pointing the guns he knew were loaded with silver, at his head. The leader commanded, “Down, beast. You know the rules.”
Ignoring the bastard’s words, Kyran instead began to swing his feet, listening for the sound of Eve O’Baoill’s heels hitting the stone floor as she inevitably made her way to him. Higher and higher he rocked, the ceiling coming closer with every swing. And then, just as he’d known it would happen, the click…click…click of the bitch approaching reached his ears.
Counting her steps, he slowed his breathing, flexed the muscles across his back and in his arms while watching the door for her arrival. Looking her dead in the eye as she crossed the threshold with her arms folded across her chest and a smug grin upon her face, Kyran pumped his legs one more time and, just as Eve stopped in front of him and his feet touched the ceiling, he pushed off with all his might.
The force of both man and dragon working together, even with the dark magic the wizard had pumped into his system, was too much for the silver-coated shackles. The metal burst from his skin, raining down on Eve, her guards and the old mystic who still lay unconscious on the ground. Flying through the air by sheer force of will and momentum, Kyran heard his captor’s immediate orders, “Shoot him down. I don’t care how bad you have to hurt him, just don’t kill him.”
Landing on the far side of the room, the Phantom rolled to the side using the metal box they had originally tried to keep him in as cover. Bullets pelted the huge crate. Eve screamed louder and with more insistence that Kyran be caught. The hunters’ boots pounded against the floor as they came closer. Kyran crept around the corner and stopped...waiting…planning. Judging the distance between where he knelt and the only door out of the hell he’d been living in, he waited for the perfect second to complete his escape.
Not sure he could make it, but willing to die as opposed to spending another minute in the hands of the sadistic O’Baoills, the black dragon summoned all his courage and strength, stood and just as he heard the tap of Eve’s heels closing in on his location, burst from behind the container and ran straight for her. The look of surprise on the bitch’s face would have been comical under any other circumstances, but in this case, it only served to spur Kyran on.
Grabbing her outstretched arm, he gripped her gun in one hand as he spun her around, pulled her back to his front and wrapped his free arm around her neck. Placing the barrel of the gun against her temple, he growled, “Tell them tae cease fire or Ah will use ye as a shield 'n' fin' anither wey oot o' yer special wee piece o' hell.”
“HOLD YOUR FIRE!” Eve screeched before whispering so only he could hear, “I’m going to drain every ounce of magic from your body and use it to track down every useless piece of magical trash out there and do the same to them. One way or another, I will win, Kyran.”
Her words sounded fierce, but he could hear the shake in her voice and feel the shiver as he pushed the barrel of the gun harder into her skin. Surrounded by her men, the Phantom made a show of using his enhanced speed to raise the gun over his head, fire a shot, and return it to Eve’s temple before the human hunters could do more than gasp.
Chuckling as Eve sagged against him in relief, Kyran lifted her feet off the ground, ran backward toward the door and yelled, “Sta’ back or she dies.”
Reaching the hallway, he looked for the reinforcements he knew would be coming. When the telltale pounding of boots coming toward them rang in his ears, Kyran flew around the corner, heading toward the basement. His plan was to escape through the tunnels leading to the water plant.
The thought of killing Eve felt so right that he had already cocked the gun before remembering that a gunshot would give away his location. Instead, he stepped into an alcove, struck his captor at the base of the neck with the butt of her own gun, threw her in the corner and sped toward the emergency stairs at the end of the hall. Slamming through the door, the black dragon flew down the stairs, ripped the cover off a vent and slid into a tunnel just as the alarm announcing his escape sounded.
The feel of Duke licking her hand woke Caitlin from her fitful sleep. “What’s the matter, boy?” she asked, listening for anything unusual as her furry companion whined that he needed to potty. Standing, she petted his head and snickered, “Well, go, you silly goose. You don’t have to wait for me.”
Sitting back down, she let her head fall into her hands and thought about what she’d just seen. She knew he’d escaped…that time, but also was well aware that the O’Baoills had recaptured him and the penalty for his brief freedom had been even more severe than what she’d just witnessed. Following the light that continued to grow in the depth of her soul since first making contact with Kyran, Caitlin found him still asleep and firmly ensconced in her past.
Unwilling to wait a second longer for her contrary dragon to see the light and return to her, Caitlin commanded, “Come, Duke. Let’s get something to eat.”
As soon as her furry companion was by her side, the banshee held on to his collar and let herself be led into the house, too deep in thought to be as independent as she usually was. After she’d fed Duke and eaten a bowl of cereal, she made her way to the shower, cleaned up and got dressed, then sat back down at the kitchen table to think about her next step.
Running her fingers through Duke’s fur, she shared her plans with him. “We’re gonna take a long walk, my friend. How do you feel about going on a dragon hunt?”
Her long-time companion yipped in delight, making Caitlin chuckle, “But only to find him. No biting.”
Laughing out loud when Duke whined as if he’d understood her and was disappointed that he couldn’t take a bite out of Kyran, the banshee stood, counted the steps to the stove then felt her way down the counter to the drawer holding her grimoire. Taking the big leather-bound book from its home, she placed it in her bag, put some fruit, dog treats and a few bottles of water alongside it and walked toward the door. After securing Duke’s leash, together they made their way out the door and through the yard on their first ever big adventure completely on their own.
Now, standing what she guessed to be halfway up the side of a mountain, yelling for her dragon, the first bits of doubt entered her mind. Instead of giving in to it, she shouted again. “Kyran! You know I’m not going to give up. You might as well come out and…”
“I’m 'ere, woman. Stop yer screaming. Ah hear ye. Hell, th' whole of the countryside kin hear ye.”
She couldn’t help smiling. Heard the grin
in his voice as he tried to chastise her. Not one to be outdone, she answered back, “Then get your butt down here and help a girl.”
Laughing out loud as she listened to him grumbling to himself about crazy women and grumpy dogs, but nonetheless heading toward her, Caitlin had to remind Duke to stop growling and mind his manners. The only warning she got that Kyran had arrived was the sparks of their attraction racing up her arm and down her spine when he grabbed her hand, pulled her to him and scooped her up in his arms.
It took just one touch and all the hurt and frustration she’d been feeling at his abrupt departure floated away like the ashes of a long forgotten fire. Needing to reconnect with him after seeing just one of the many horrors of his past, Caitlin carefully reached for his face, smiling when she felt him move his head to the side, helping her place her hands around his neck. Pulling him toward her, she loved that he didn’t resist and when their lips met, it was as if the last hours of separation had never happened. She’d heard all the tales of what it meant to meet your true mate but never quite believed them…until Kyran.
Their kiss went on and on and somewhere along the way, while she was caught up in their embrace, her dragon had moved them up the mountain and into his humble abode. Caitlin heard the sounds of water trickling into a pond as she basked in the smoky masculine scent of her mate and the feel of his flesh under her fingers.
Her hands found their way into his hair. Gone was the muck and grime from the day before, replaced by the feeling of spun silk running through her fingers. She could see, through his eyes, in his mind, that not only the outer dirt from the day before was gone but also absent were the reservations about her and what they meant to one another. Sharing Kyran’s sight was miraculous. It had been so long since she’d seen little more than glimpses and flashes from others’ minds, Caitlin had forgotten what real sight felt like. With him, it was as if her vision had been restored. She saw everything in living color. She saw him.
Moving as one, their passion grew, their kiss deepened, and Caitlin gave herself over completely to the man who in a few short hours had captured her heart. His arm moved from underneath her legs, and sliding down his body, she felt the proof of his arousal jump against her stomach. Longing to remove the clothing standing between them, as soon as her feet touched the ground, she slid her hands down his shoulders, pulling him closer, needing to feel all of him. All the passion, all the feelings, all the emotions running through her, pushing her to know this man, her dragon, as she’d known no other, was overwhelming, magical, and one of the most amazing things she’d ever experienced.
Afloat on a cloud of desire and longing, as her nails slid down his back, as Caitlin stood on tiptoes to better reach him while pressing her body to his. Kyran’s hands set her ablaze, leaving a trail of fiery yearning as they slid under the soft cotton of her T-shirt, along her waist and up her ribs, continuing their erotic torture until he was cupping the underside of her breasts.
The sensory overload was incredible, so much more than she’d ever imagined. It felt as if their souls had become one. Her usually restless and angry alter-ego was now joyful and seeking to know both man and beast with the same intensity as the woman.
This is the culmination of every dream I ever had…
No sooner had the thought crossed her mind that Kyran tore his mouth from hers, placed his hands on her shoulders and set her away from him. The sight she’d shared with him disappeared, and from the sound of the shuffle of his bare feet on the stone floor, she knew he’d also turned his back on her. Confused and more than a little frustrated, she reached for him. Just the very tip of her fingers touching the warmth of his skin before she felt him once again pull away.
Hurt and embarrassed, rejection reared its ugly head, and before she could think, Caitlin screamed, “What’s the matter, Kyran? Afraid to feel something real? Afraid of what Fate has planned for us? Am I not good enough?” Suddenly short of breath and seething with rage, all rational thought disappeared.
Anger was easier and far less painful than all the other emotions fighting to tear her down, so grabbing onto it with both hands, she yelled, “Let me guess…little blind banshee’s not good enough for the mighty Kyran O’Connor, Guardsman extraordinaire.”
Her temper driving her every word, her every movement, Caitlin forgot to reach for Duke to make sure her path was clear before stepping forward and as she shouted, “Well, let me tell you something…” her statement was cut short as she tripped on a rock, fell forward and landed right in the arms of the man who, at the moment, she was contemplating castrating with a hot poker.
Being blind isn’t a sin…but it’s damned unhandy…
5
Using his enhanced speed, Kyran caught his beautiful mate before anything dared mar her glorious countenance, and returned her feet to the ground in front of him as she continued to berate him as if nothing had happened, “…I have waited my whole life for you, you big dumb jerk. Sure, I thought all that crap about true mates and Destiny and Fate was a load of bullshit. Just something people kept telling me to make me feel not so alone and to help me not lose hope… but then you came…you came to me.”
She pointed her finger at him, her blind eyes seeing the things most couldn’t. “You. Came. To. Me.” Her voice was louder, with more feeling with every word. “And then I knew…I just knew.” She shook her head, her words still echoing in the cavern. Her long black hair flowed around her like a dark cloud, accenting her beauty, highlighting the depth of her strength and power, making her irresistible. The Phantom was in awe. His Caitlin was absolutely magnificent.
Her silence continued. He knew, had she been able to see, she would have been staring at him, peeling back the cold hard layers he’d built not only around himself, but also his heart and soul, stripping him bare. Did she not know that she’d already shredded all his armor, embedded herself within him, made him unable to truly draw breath without her?
The memories…her memories, that he’d seen in his dreams made sure there was no way he could ever walk away…ever leave her, even if he did believe it was the best thing for her. He was forced to rethink how he would approach and rid the world of Eve, for now he had something to live for…someone to live for…his stunning banshee. But still…there was so much she needed to know about him…needed to understand.
Although he was more than pleased when her thoughts revealed he would be her first and only lover, it also brought the harsh truth of reality crashing down around him. Her first time should not be on the floor of a cave, with a man who had no home, no clan, nothing. It had to be special, something she would remember forever. Something they would build their life, their future, their everything upon.
Standing absolutely still, trying to think of what he could say to make her understand, Kyran felt the waves of anger and frustration pouring off his Caitlin. His little banshee shook with fury. It was one of the sexiest things he’d ever seen. He wanted to laugh, to do anything to lighten the mood, to take away the pain he could feel he’d caused her and let her know how much she already meant to him, but…there was no doubt in the black dragon’s mind that Caitlin would kick his butt where he stood, on principle alone. He’d heard her passing thoughts about a hot poker and his balls and didn’t want to tempt fate.
The longer he watched her… the longer he waited for her to speak… the longer her thoughts mixed with his and he felt the true depth of the hurt and frustration his actions had caused her… the more Kyran knew beyond all doubt he had screwed up monumentally.
Once again, lost to the raw power of his feelings for his banshee, unable to resist her a moment longer, the black dragon slammed his mouth to hers. It was a kiss of raw passion and absolute possession, full of teeth and tongue and need. He couldn’t get enough of her. Her scent, her skin, her erotic curves begging to be worshiped, all called to him on an elemental level. His dragon roared, pushing, needing, wanting all the fire and passion they both knew only Caitlin could give them.
The p
rimal need to mark her, sink his teeth into her tender flesh, taste of her life’s essence, rose like a raging tidal wave within him. It was the old way, the way of the Dragon Kings, to ensure there was no doubt who she belonged to, whose heart and soul she held in the palm of her hand…and more importantly, who would fight to the death to keep her by his side.
Finally, Caitlin stopped resisting, stopped trying to push him away and gave as good as she got. Her hands caressed his heated skin, leaving sparks in their wake, as she, too, sought to mark him in her own special way. The feel of her fingers threatened his sanity as the overload of sensations shot through his system. The more she tried to possess him, the more he relented to being possessed. Nipping and sucking his way across her jaw and down her neck, Kyran became drunk from the sheer pleasure of his mate, their hunger so intense he was transported to another time and place. Completely forgotten was the fact that they were standing in the middle of a cave, the only place he had to call home for the time being. Nothing mattered but the woman in his arms and the way she made him feel. Needing his mate more than his next breath, Kyran once again lifted Caitlin's feet from the ground, but this time carried her across the grotto, careful not to disturb their kiss.
Regretfully pulling his lips from hers, smiling as she moaned at the loss, he gently laid her down on his pallet, quickly lying beside her and taking her hands into his. Kissing the tips of her fingers, he explained, “Caitlin, mo ghra’, Ah didnae turn awa' froom ye because Ah dinnae wantae be wi' ye or hae feelin`s fur ye 'n' definitely nae because yer beatiful blue eyes daenae see.” He paused, took a deep breath and without waiting for her to respond, continued. “Ah stopped becasue A'm waantin' oor first time th'gither, yer first time ever wi' a man, tae be special… tae be perfect. Nae tae be on a nicked sleeping bag on th' floor o' a cave.”
