12
Niall
Nora’s message that she wasn’t feeling well had alarmed Niall. He knew she was different from him and that a witch wasn’t the same as a dragon shifter, but he hadn’t realized she could get sick.
He’d been able to feel her presence on campus, thanks to her ability, but he’d had trouble concentrating on his classes for the rest of the day. He needed to lay eyes on her and to see that she was okay.
Going directly to her dorm room wasn’t the smartest idea, but at that moment, he was a dragon shifter first, and a professor second. Sometimes human rules were hard to follow—his instincts told him to go directly to her. She was his priority.
When he finally got to her room, she looked ill, but there was no fever or smell of sickness, which was the way he’d detected illness in his human students. Her eyes were red, and her skin wasn’t flushed. In fact, she just looked pale and exhausted. Maybe her upset was emotional. Either way, he could take care of her.
He got her home, made her soup, and had her lie on the sofa in front of a roaring fire. As soon as they crossed the threshold of his cottage, she seemed to perk up. After eating the chicken soup he’d made, she fell asleep.
He got out his latest batch of essays and began to review them while he sat in the chair across from her. He’d barely gotten started when his phone buzzed. The caller ID said that it was Quinn, the dragon shifter from Texas. Reluctantly, he stepped outside to speak to him.
“How’s it going?” Quinn asked after they’d greeted each other.
“It’s going well,” Niall replied.
“We have some good news. We’re all coming over for a vacation. We’ve decided to make it an annual tradition.”
“That’s great news.” As much as he wanted to spend time with his former clanmates, now was not optimal.
“I’ll need to meet your witch and speak with her. You know that right?” Quinn asked.
“Yes.” There was no way he was going to let her face an interrogation alone. “I’ll be present while you speak with her.”
“Sure, that’s fine, whatever you guys are comfortable with.” Niall was reminded once again and how American Quinn had become during his years in Texas as Quinn spoke. “We’d love for y’all to come. Right now, it’s just going to be us and you guys. Brynne, my sister-in-law, the one who was raised by vampires, is going to start searching for other shifters in Europe soon.”
Niall only had a vague memory of Brynne. She was under ten years old when he left for Portugal. Niall wasn’t sure he was ready for all of his former clan to descend upon his home so soon after he’d been brainwashed. However, he had no choice in the matter.
“When will you all arrive?”
“We’ll be there this weekend,” Quinn said. “Does that work for you?”
It was far too soon for Niall. He suspected that Quinn didn’t give him a lot of warning on purpose. “Of course. We look forward to seeing you again.”
Now he had to break the news to Nora. He had no idea how she’d react, but he thought most likely with dread or apprehension. He was wary of this visit himself, and they were his former clan members. They’d been more than fair with him after he tried to murder them, so he had to expect they would be fair to Nora too. If they weren’t fair to her, he would step in, clanmates be damned.
No one was going to threaten or intimidate her ever again. Not as long as he was standing.
“Nora. I have some news.”
“Is it bad news?” she asked.
“No, but it might be disruptive.”
Niall clenched his jaw. He wanted to throw this male out for making her recount such agonizing memories, but Quinn held power here. He could make their lives hell if he deemed either of them too dangerous. Niall could take her on the run, but that would mean they would be in hiding for the rest of their lives, hunted by the dragon shifter clan.
No. They’d just have to endure this occasional interrogation. It was the price they both had paid for their connection to the witches—hers by blood, and his by chance.
13
Nora
Nora expected to be shunned by the dragon shifters, but after some initial wariness on both sides, they welcomed her with open arms. Quinn was the first one she met, which made sense. He had been a supervisor, of sorts, for Niall when Niall had been under the witch’s spell.
She could see the Irish dragon shifter in Quinn at once, but he was very different from Niall. With him Quinn the living area of Niall’s cottage, the room seemed much smaller.
Quinn smiled at her. “Don’t be nervous.” She could hear the Irish in his voice, but it was overlaid with a strong sense of Texas.
Niall stood behind the sofa. “Would you like anything to drink?”
“Do you have beer?” Quinn asked.
“Not quite. I have some ale. Will that work?”
“Sure,” Quinn said. When Niall handed him the glass, he took a big gulp. “So, Nora, tell me about yourself. I know your mother was Niamh. I’m sorry you lost her.”
“I’m not.” Heat rushed to her cheeks. Was it evil to admit that she was relieved when her mother was killed? She pressed her hands to her eyes. “Sorry.”
Instantly, she felt Niall at her side. He sat next to her and wrapped his strong arm around her. “It’s okay,” he whispered into her ear, even though Quinn would likely be able to hear him. “He understands.”
“I do understand,” Quinn said. “It pains me to say it because our clan would prefer not to have enemies, but the witches were our enemies for many years. They’ve caused us a lot of heartache and pain.”
She nodded. “I’m sorry,” she said.
“You don’t need to apologize. From what I understand, they caused you the same pain as well.”
Nora nodded again. “It was unbearable.”
“So, for our very first gathering, Kellan rented us a castle on Lough Corrib,” Quinn said with a smile. “It’s a lake not far from here.”
“He rented a castle? The entire thing?” Nora asked.
“Yes. He’s rich, and he likes to do extravagant things to shock us. There’s no point in arguing. We’ve learned to just enjoy it.”
She was intrigued, and she could tell from the look on Niall’s face that he was too.
“Which castle is it?” Nora asked.
“It’s not far from here. It’s a thirteenth-century manor home,” Quinn said.
“I know the place. I’ve seen photos, but I’ve never stayed there,” Niall said.
“Clara, that’s Kellan’s wife, is organizing a big Halloween party. It’s a really big deal in the States. So all of our kids are accustomed to dressing up and trick-or-treating. But this year, we’re going to do some of the traditional Irish celebrations.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” Nora said. She really was. When she was growing up, there had been no holiday celebrations. The coven’s obsession with revenge and power had meant all their time was spent perfecting spells.
“Oh, Niall, it’s perfect.”
Nora clasped her hands together in delight. She could not have imagined a more beautiful setting. A gravel road lay in front of them. At the end of the road, a castle loomed. It was surrounded by a low stone fence. Across from the castle was a row of trees and, beyond that, a small lake.
The rest of the dragons were already there. All of them stood outside the castle, waiting. As Niall parked the car, Nora’s stomach twisted. She still couldn’t believe they were willing to give her a chance. Their parents and siblings had been murdered by her mother and the rest of her coven. The same was true of Niall’s family.
There were eight adults and five children. As she closed the car door, they all waved.
Niall slipped her small hand in his. “Are you nervous?”
“Yes, I am very nervous.”
He let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She appreciated the gesture. From what she understood, five of the adults were from his clan. They had a s
hared history. She was an outsider.
“I don’t see how this is going to go well. They’re all shifters, or they’re human. I’m the only witch.”
“One of the wives is also Fae,” Niall said. “She’s had her own struggles, from what Quinn said.”
Nora doubted that the wife’s tribe had tried to kill any of the shifters.
“We don’t have to do this.”
She tipped her head up. “We do have to do this. I don’t have any friends or any family. If this group of dragon shifters is willing to let me share in their traditions, then I’m going to give it a shot.”
He squeezed her hand. “You have the best attitude.”
She had no choice. It was either that or drown in sorrow.
As they made their way toward the castle and the throng of people waiting on them, a woman broke away from the group. She was tall and slender, with golden-red hair. Every movement she made was graceful. Shifters were athletic, but this female moved with the poise of a ballerina. She must be the Fae.
“Hello,” she said in a lilting Irish accent. “I’m Fallon.” She turned and pointed to a tall, strapping shifter. “That’s my husband and mate, Brennan. Our son is the one climbing the tree. His name is Rowan. You can probably tell that I’m not human. I’m Fae.” She held her hands out, palms up.
Nora hesitated, but then she placed her hands inside Fallon’s. “Cead Mile Failte,” Fallon said in Gaelic. “A hundred thousand welcomes.”
Warmth spread through Nora’s chest. Besides Niall, no one had ever treated her like this. No one had ever welcomed her in this way. She found her throat closing. Her eyes stung with emotion. She sucked in a breath and swallowed hard. Fallon deserved a response.
“Can I hug you?” Nora didn’t know how Fae felt about physical interaction. The dragon shifters were an affectionate bunch. They were very physically demonstrative, so she assumed anyone who lived with them would have to be able to adapt.
“Of course. We don’t ever want anyone to be alone.” Fallon let go of Nora’s hands and held out her arms. Her expression was grave; she spoke as if she understood. This female who she just met wrapped her arms around Nora and held her tight. After a few moments, Fallon let her go. She gave Nora a small smile. “The rest of them are getting antsy. They can barely stand it. They sent me because I’m Fae, and I grew up in a very different culture. They thought I might understand you the most. As you know, dragon shifters are a very social group. And so are humans. We knew it might be overwhelming for you.”
“That was very considerate of you all.”
“I’ve warned everyone to not to overdo it,” Fallon said. “In fact, I made them all promise to sit inside, and wait for us, but that only lasted about five seconds. They just can’t contain themselves.”
Just then, someone called out, “Fallon, quit hogging her!”
Everyone laughed. Fallon stepped away, and another female came forward. This one was named Clara. She introduced herself. She was Kellan’s wife. Nora’s stomach dropped, but Kellan wasn’t angry. Kellan’s parents had been the clan leaders. They’d been the ones who refused to allow humans to be harmed. One by one, she met all thirteen members of this Texas dragon clan. They all hugged her, adults and children alike. All of them seemed to genuinely want her there.
The last one was named Liam. He was a lawyer in Texas, and his wife was the only female dragon shifter in the clan.
“Hello, Nora. I wanted to clear the air between us.”
Nora waited, and then it dawned on her. “You killed my mother.”
“Yes.”
She flung herself into his arms. “Thank you. I know it sounds twisted. I know it’s wrong. But it’s a relief. I’m sorry for whatever she did to you and to your family.”
Liam’s face was kind. “It’s in the past.” He patted her shoulder. In the background, the five kids were clamoring to move on to something more exciting than standing around and talking.
Kellan’s wife, Clara, who had been a kindergarten teacher, had organized the festival activities. First, they were going to build a big bonfire together. The fire posed no threat to the children. They all gathered wood and piled it up. Next, they gathered stones and made a circle around the wood so that they could contain the fire. They might be immune to fire, but the surrounding forest was not. To light the bonfire, the little boy named Rowan opened his mouth and roared. Bright orange flames shot out of his mouth and set the wood ablaze. Everyone cheered for him, and he took a little bow, which made everyone chuckle.
If I have a child with Niall, that baby would be a dragon shifter as well.
She stopped in her tracks. Where had that thought come from? She and Niall weren’t even officially dating. She certainly shouldn’t be thinking about having children with him.
Niall spun to look at her. “Are you all right?” he asked.
She nodded hastily. “Just taking it all in.” There was no way she could tell him she had just imagined having his baby. She was grateful that only deliberate thoughts were projected. That particular thought would be difficult to explain.
Next, they were all going to carve pumpkins around a large wagon full of pumpkins near the fire. Liam set out a bucket of carving tools. Just like with the fire, a carving knife would not harm a dragon-shifter child, so the three oldest kids set to work carving their own pumpkins.
Juliana, who was Quinn’s wife, and Clara followed a specific pattern to carve their pumpkins. Clara carved a castle into hers, and Juliana carved a cat. Laughing, Kellan carved a bat into his pumpkin.
They took a break for dinner. After dinner, Clara announced the Barnbrack cake tradition, where the items in the cake would tell their futures, and after they all took turns taking a slice and exclaiming over the hidden items inside their cake slice, it was time for bed.
“Good night, everyone,” Kellan called out in his booming voice. “I hope you all sleep well. Every family has a bedroom to themselves.”
Clara pulled them aside. “I put you two in the same room, but if that’s not what you prefer, then there’s one spare bedroom left over.
Nora did not want to be alone in this big, drafty castle. It was a breathtaking place, but she could feel the weight of its history bearing down on her. She stepped closer to Niall. “I’m fine to share with you.”
Niall’s arm came around her again.
The inside of the castle was just as striking as the outside. The ceilings were tall, with exposed wooden beams. The steps were made of stone. All of the doors and windows were arched. The entire thing was enchanting.
They made their way up the narrow stairwell to their room. As expected, there was only one bed, but the bedroom was just as charming as the rest of the castle. It had the same high ceiling with exposed wooden beams and the same stone floor. A painting of the Cliffs of Moher hung on the wall. Both of them took a moment to appreciate the painting.
Once he’d gotten their bags inside and locked the door behind them, Niall smiled. “I hope that was okay for you.”
Nora sank onto the edge of the bed. “It was lovely. Your clan is really generous with their forgiveness.”
“You did nothing wrong. There’s nothing to forgive.”
“That’s technically true, but it wouldn’t stop many,” Nora said. “I could tell from what Fallon said that she’s encountered some trouble from the Fae.”
“They keep to themselves, for the most part. They never enroll in the university,” Niall said. “Well, if they do, I’m not aware of it.”
“They are good at disguising themselves.”
“Maybe so.” Niall shrugged. “You referred to them as my clan. They don’t feel like my clan anymore,” he said. “It’s been so long.”
She knew he felt guilty for leaving for university in Portugal all those years ago. “Do you want them to?”
“Yes,” he said simply.
“Then that’s your answer. If you want to be a part of their clan again, it seemed like they would be happy to have y
ou.”
“Even from half a world away?” he asked.
“Even then. Maybe you could visit Texas.” She wanted to suggest that they could visit Texas together, but again it felt too forward. She wanted to be a part of their clan, but she wasn’t a shifter. She wasn’t Niall’s mate. She wasn’t anything to them.
Niall touched her cheek. “Why did you suddenly look so melancholy?”
“Just thinking of things I can’t have. I’m envious of their clan.”
“If you want to be a part of their clan, they’ll accept you. That much is clear. They are not going to shut anyone out, not because of genetics or circumstance.”
It feels too good to be true. She formed the thought and pushed it to him.
He moved his fingers to her lips. “It feels too good to be true to me as well. I never thought I’d have a family again. I never thought I have a clan again.”
“I had a coven, but they were never a family.”
“You have me now,” he said. He lifted the curtain of her hair and kissed down her neck.
Nora shivered in anticipation. She had thought of their love-making constantly and was ready for their bodies to be joined again. She wanted that same intimacy another time.
Today, she wore a cotton dress, and he inched it up until he was able to pull it over her head. Then she stood before him in her black bra and panties. He pulled her close, letting her feel the outline of his erection through his jeans.
“I want you,” he said.
“I want you too.” The heat had already pooled low in her belly, and she could feel her panties growing wet.
His eyes darkened, and he put his hand between her legs. “I want to taste you. Is that okay?”
Another new experience—she wanted them all with him. “Yes.” She had no idea what to expect, but she was eager to have his hands on her again. Now, his mouth.
He cupped her hips in his hands and knelt down on the floor. He kissed her stomach and slowly peeled her panties down over her thighs. She stepped out of her panties, and her pussy throbbed, ready for his touch.
Professor Dragon's Virgin (Irish Dragon Shifter Brothers Book 5) Page 6
