As Fraser exited the kitchen and made a beeline for the door, his dragon laughed. That’s why I didn’t fight you too much. I knew Mum would make you attend.
Shut it, dragon. I’m not in the mood.
I need to reserve my strength for our female later, anyway. Have fun creating and solving a made-up problem. You know Mum will ask about it.
As his dragon laughed again, Fraser gritted his teeth. So much for trying to be noble and give Fergus a chance with Holly. Thanks to his mother, Fraser was going to be sitting at the same bloody table with her.
Not only that, but in full view of his family.
Supper was going to be the ultimate test. Not being charming would set off red flags to his family. They would expect him to flirt and charm the human female.
He only hoped Fergus didn’t pick up on anything more. His twin knew Fraser better than anyone else in the world, even their Mum.
Sighing, he ran toward the edge of Lochguard’s lands. Maybe physical exhaustion would be a good enough excuse to leave supper early.
Chapter Four
Holly sat across from Finn and frowned. “There was nothing in the contract about having to live with my assigned dragonman. My only duty is to sleep with him.”
“Aye, that’s true. But both the DDA and myself think it’s best if you get to know Fergus a little better. Unlike in the past, we want sacrifices to keep in contact with their children.”
The word “children” brought back reports she’d read about survival birth rates amongst human women who bore a dragon-shifters child.
The fact she had a fifty-fifty chance of surviving the birth reminded her of something Arabella had mentioned. “I will live with Fergus from next week on one condition.”
Finn raised one blond eyebrow. “Oh, aye? You have conditions already?”
Holly refused to back down at his intense gaze. “Yes. I want to assist in the surgery and have access to any research done related to the effects of dragon-shifter hormones on humans.”
Finn sat back and steepled his fingers. “It’s possible, but it’s not me you’re going to have to win over, lass. It’s Dr. Gregor Innes, the head doctor here on Lochguard. And let’s just say he’s not the most gregarious of dragon-shifters.”
“I’ve worked with all types of nurses and doctors. I’m sure I can handle it.”
Arabella shouted from the next room, “Let her try, Finn. She’s the only one who’s been able to help with my nausea so far.”
Concern flashed in Finn’s eyes. “Are you all right, Ara? Do you need me to bring you something?”
“Just go back to your meeting. I’m fine,” Arabella answered.
Finn looked about ready to stand up, so Holly drew on her strength and said in her sternest voice, “Stop fussing.”
Finn met her eye and his pupils flashed to slits and back. “Careful, lass. You’re a guest on my land.”
Holly leaned her elbows on Finn’s desk. “And you’re suffocating your mate. If she wants your help, she’ll ask for it. Believe me, the most frequent complaint I get about a pregnant woman’s other half is that they stifle them and walk on eggshells. I may not have experience with pregnant dragon-shifters, but I’m fairly certain they want the same thing.”
“And what’s that?”
“To be treated as a normal person.” Holly leaned closer and whispered, “Most of the time. Save your fussing for when she really needs it.”
Finn whispered back, “And how will I know?”
Before Holly could answer, Arabella shouted again. “Because I’ll tell you, you bloody idiot. Okay?”
Finn raised his voice to normal speaking levels. “We’ll talk about it later, love.” He looked back to Holly. “Before we discuss any position or opportunities with the clan we need to get two things straight right now, lass.”
Holly refused to be intimidated and sat back in her chair. “What?”
“I’ll allow you to order me about on matters concerning Ara’s pregnancy when we’re alone. But outside of that, I won’t tolerate it. You’re a guest on my land and I’m trying to create the best possible environment for you. However, I am the law here on Lochguard. Are we clear?”
Holly nearly blinked at the change in Finn from the smiling, teasing bloke he’d been a few minutes ago to the steely-eyed, intimidating presence. The dominance in his voice nearly made her want to just nod and say nothing.
However, that wasn’t Holly’s way. “I agree, provided you’re not embarrassing me or doing something worth a scolding.”
Holly swore she heard a bark of laughter from the other room, but Finn replied before she could think about it. “Provided our definitions of ‘something worth a scolding’ are the same, then I can accept that. Any clan member would do the same.”
Holly nodded. “Good. And what’s the other condition?”
Finn’s face relaxed and he smiled as he leaned back in his chair. “You need a recommendation from my Aunt Lorna before you can approach Dr. Innes about working in the surgery. And before you ask, she’s Fergus and Fraser’s mother.”
Holly sensed there was something Finn wasn’t telling her, but she’d find out soon enough. “I’m sure she’ll give me a glowing review by tomorrow evening at the latest.”
Amusement danced in Finn’s eyes. “Aye, maybe. Let’s see if you survive dinner first.” Finn stood up and motioned out the door. “Go freshen up, lass. We’ll be heading over in less than an hour.”
Holly motioned toward the paperwork on the desk. “But we’ve barely gone through the first stack.”
Finn waved a hand. “No worries. We have plenty of time. After all, you have a week before you move in with Fergus and try to fulfill your contract.”
Holly was careful to keep her expression neutral. The last thing she needed was Finn guessing her plan to entice Fergus into her bed earlier than that. “You’re right.” She stood. “Should I dress formal?”
“It’s just a family dinner.” He lowered his voice. “But all straight dragon males appreciate a lass in a pretty top. Even Arabella figured that out.”
Arabella’s form appeared in the doorway. “Finlay Stewart, leave her alone.” Arabella looked to her. “Wear what you like. Meeting Fergus will be stressful enough. You don’t need to add uncomfortable clothing to the mix. Fergus will understand.”
Finn walked over and put an arm around Arabella’s waist. After he kissed the top of her head, he laid his cheek there and met Holly’s eyes. “All clan leader dominance and rules aside, Fergus is a good male. He’s patient with lasses, even if he’s not overly patient in other areas of his life.”
Arabella slapped his side. “It’s all Fraser’s fault. Speaking of which, Fraser offered to clean up our garden.”
“Offered?” Finn asked dryly.
Arabella chuckled. “Okay, I sort of coerced him. But I had a good reason. Let Holly go upstairs and I’ll tell you all about it.”
Finn grunted and Holly took that as her cue to leave. Skirting around Finn and Arabella, she headed toward the stairs.
As she ascended them, she mentally cursed Arabella for bringing up Fraser again. Simply mentioning his name had brought the moment they’d shared inside the greenhouse, with his hot breath on her cheek and his wonderfully masculine scent surrounding her, to the forefront of her mind.
If the sacrifice contract hadn’t been hanging over her head, she wondered if she would’ve kissed him.
Entering her room and shutting the door, Holly closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Thinking about “what ifs” was a waste of time. She was there to bear Fergus a child, not Fraser.
And at dinner, Holly would do everything in her power to forget about the forbidden twin.
Decision made, she opened her eyes and moved to her suitcase. Surely she had something revealing to wear. She needed it if she was to kill two birds with one stone—both to tempt Fergus to kiss her or more and to also drive Fraser crazy to the point he might leave early, allowing her to focus. If all went accor
As she rummaged through her bag, Holly found a wee present hidden under her stack of trousers.
Her dad must’ve put it there.
Sitting down, she tore off the wrapping paper and tears formed in her eyes. She traced the title of the book, “Medicinal Plants of the Scottish Highlands.” How her dad had managed to order the book and hide it without her knowledge, she didn’t know. But the token made her eyes wet.
She hugged the book to her chest and closed her eyes. Her dad’s gift reminded her of the bigger picture. Fraser, Fergus, or any of the other dragon-shifters didn’t matter. Holly needed to survive her time on Lochguard so she could go back to Aberdeen and take care of her father. She was all he had left.
She wouldn’t let him down.
Carefully laying the book down on the bed, Holly picked out her sexiest clothes. They were tame compared to some of the women she’d seen on Friday nights in the past, but they would have to do.
It was time to catch a dragonman.
~~~
Fraser ran his fingers through his wavy hair one last time before exiting his bedroom. Between the jogging and his shower, he was tired yet slightly more relaxed. If he was lucky, his exhaustion might give him the reason he needed to be less than charming at supper.
Popping into his younger sister’s room, he met her eyes in the mirror and Faye frowned. “You didn’t knock.”
He shrugged. “Our whole lives, you’ve always been ready five minutes before everyone else. You mention it every chance you get.” He changed his voice to mimic his sister’s. “‘Fraser, why did you take so long? You must be arranging every strand of hair individually.’”
Faye turned and threw a stuffed tiger at him. When it bounced off his chest, he made himself look affronted. “Dear sister, that was uncalled for.”
“I’m not in the mood tonight, Fraser.”
The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. “As of late, you never are.”
Faye’s face turned neutral. “I used to be Finn’s go-to Protector for the clan. Now, I can barely jump in dragon form and still can’t fly. Excuse me for not being all charming and full of smiles.”
Fraser had mostly tiptoed around the subject of Faye’s injury since it had happened two months earlier. But as his dragon paced inside his head, pushing for him to go downstairs and wait for Holly, his patience snapped. “Stop pitying yourself, Faye. You’re not the only one with problems.”
“Oh, aye? Are you having trouble deciding between two females? Or, let me guess, you can’t sneak off with Fergus anymore to cause trouble in the neighboring towns and villages?” She rolled her eyes. “Those aren’t real problems, Fraser.”
Growling, Fraser took a step toward Faye. “There’s more to me than lasses and getting into trouble.”
She raised an eyebrow. “That’s pretty much what you’ve been doing for the last decade. What’s changed?”
He teetered on the edge of telling Faye about Holly. His sister could keep a secret if she wanted to. After all, she’d been one of the top security officers for Lochguard.
But at the last minute, he decided not to. Fraser wanting Fergus’s sacrifice might be a big enough problem for Faye to go to Finn or their mother. “Never mind. It’s not that important and we don’t want to keep Mum waiting.” He put out an arm. “Shall I escort you to dinner?”
Faye’s amber-brown eyes scrutinized him a second and she almost looked like her old self, from before the accident that had damaged her wing.
Finally, she stood up and threaded her arm through his. “I would be honored, Fraser Moore.”
He bowed his head. “As am I, Faye Cleopatra.”
She scrunched her nose. “I still don’t understand why you and Fergus are named after Roger Moore and I’m named after an Egyptian pharaoh.”
He winked. “It could’ve been a lot worse if Dad hadn’t wanted that middle name. Mum could’ve gone with Connery or even Sean. You know how she loves the James Bond films.”
Faye’s voice turned somber. “I wish I could’ve known Dad.”
They rarely talked about it, but their father had died the night before Faye’s birth.
Fraser squeezed his sister’s shoulders. “I don’t much remember him myself, but at least we had Mum. She has as much personality and strength as any two parents combined.” Anxious to change topics, Fraser tugged his sister’s arm and they started walking. “I hope Fergus’s meeting with his sacrifice is going well.”
Faye looked up at him. “I hope so, too. He may hide it, but he’s a romantic at heart. If he can’t find a mate in this Holly woman, then I’m not sure where else he can look. He’s tried everyone on Lochguard, to no avail, and he’s determined to stay in the Highlands. Without accepting a foster position in one of the other clans, I’m not sure how Fergus could ever meet someone else.”
Fraser’s dragon snarled at the idea of Fergus having Holly, but Fraser just managed to shove his beast to the back of his mind. She’s off limits, dragon.
Forcing his tone to remain light, he replied, “He’ll make it work. Fergus may not be as charming as myself, but he’ll still manage to win the human over. Remember, it’s more than just Fergus’s happiness at stake—Holly’s final report on her time here will help determine if we ever have another sacrifice.”
“Maybe. But I don’t want our brother to merely settle. He should choose a mate for love.”
Fraser looked down at his sister. “Since when are you a romantic? I seem to remember you stating a mate would only get in the way of your career.”
“Aye, I did. But I don’t have much of a career to look forward to these days, do I?”
Fraser stopped them in their tracks and turned Faye toward him. “Stop with the pity, Faye. You’re a MacKenzie. We’re stubborn and never give up. Even if I have to find a scientist to design a customized dragon jet-pack, you’ll fly again.”
Faye smiled and it pleased both man and beast.
She tilted her head. “I’d like to see that. Although, I’m sure the humans wouldn’t approve of dragon jet-packs.”
“Who cares what the humans think?” Fraser patted her arm. “Right, how about we survive dinner first and then we can discuss the jet-pack option later.”
“Because it’s such a believable option,” Faye answered. Fraser growled and she patted his arm. “Okay, okay. We’ll start with dinner and go from there.”
Guilt flooded his body at keeping the truth about Holly from his younger sister, but Fraser pushed it away. Unfortunately, he couldn’t stop his dragon from bursting free. I will fight for Holly and you won’t be able to stop me.
Are you really going to betray our family to do it?
She’s our true mate. Tell Fergus. He’ll understand.
I wish it were that simple, but he didn’t take it well the last time we stole a lass from him. Besides, I’m not sure Finn would agree to transfer the contract. It may not even be possible.
You never know until you try.
Listen, dragon. I won’t hurt my twin or take away his last chance for happiness, so stop pushing.
His beast snarled. You’ve made your opinion clear. I’ll make my next move without you.
As his dragon retreated to the back of his mind, Fraser’s stomach turned heavy. If his dragon took control, the bloody beast could do all kinds of damage. Not only scaring Holly, but testing the bonds of his family.
Fraser may not have tried to resist his dragon’s wishes in the past, but that was changing from this moment forward.
His dragon’s laugh echoed inside his head and Fraser clenched his jaw. Just wait, dragon. I’m stronger than you think.
His beast’s silence spoke volumes. Some might think it meant his beast agreed, but in Fraser’s experience, his dragon usually fell quiet when he didn’t think arguing a point was worth his time.
His dragon’s response only strengthened his resolve. For the remainder of the walk to the kitchen, Fraser recalled every detail he’d heard over the years on how to construct a complicated maze to preoccupy his dragon. If he could manage that, then he could devise a way to leave supper early. The longer he stayed in the room with Holly, the greater the chance his dragon would take control and do who the hell knew what to her.
Faye’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “You’re quiet, brother. What’s wrong?”
Forcing a lazy smile, he shook his head. “You know me, I’m just devising trouble. I’ll have to give Fergus a big send off before the mating ceremony.”
As he rambled off pub names and the best hunting grounds to fool his sister, Fraser built his maze piece by piece. There was no bloody way he was allowing his dragon to ruin things for his family.
~~~
Holly tucked a section of her hair behind her ear. She usually wore it up, but her friends had always mentioned how pretty she looked with it down. Combined with her blue low-cut top, she just might be able to convince Fergus to kiss her.
Picking at her trouser leg, she resisted pacing the floor of the small study. Finn should return with the aforementioned Fergus at any moment.
Even though she was having dinner at the MacKenzie household, she was meeting Fergus at Finn’s place first. Finn had muttered something about keeping the family’s overbearing curiosity out of the way for her first introduction to her assigned dragonman.
It would also give her a chance to admire Fergus without his bloody twin brother distracting her.
The doorknob turned and she took a deep breath. This is it. Time to meet your future.
The door opened to reveal Finn’s smiling face. “Ms. Holly Anderson, may I present Fergus Roger MacKenzie.”
Behind him, she heard a male murmur, “No need for the middle name, Finn.”
Finn grinned as he stepped aside. “Blame your mum if you don’t like it, not me.”
With a sigh, a tall dragonman with wavy auburn hair and blue eyes stepped into the room. From his broad shoulders to the slight indentation in his chin, Fergus looked exactly like Fraser, except the man in front of her lacked a scar near his left eye.
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