Dragon Xmas Miracle

by Maia Starr

  I had stayed out of the last few fights and kept to myself. I knew if I didn’t mate soon, my dragon would take over, and that was not something I wanted, but I didn’t want to claim the first woman I found. I didn’t want to force myself on anyone or take away their ability to choose simply to avoid that fate. I wanted my union with someone to be special and full of love. The bonds that truly counted were what I valued most, and I felt that I could have that with Amelia. I couldn’t explain how, I just knew that when I looked into her eyes, I felt at home. And that meant that someday I would have to confess to her what I was. But that day wasn’t today, and I couldn’t do anything to jeopardize my chances with her. Besides that, I didn’t know how to tell her. What mortal woman wouldn’t run screaming if she found out she was in the company of a dragon shifter after wolf shifters had raped her and forced her to become pregnant? I was going to have to take things slow and earn her trust first. I had to show her that dragons weren’t like the wolves. That we were different. That I was different. And I would start by making her comfortable and learning more about who she was. Like a normal human being.

  Once our lunch was finished, I checked to make sure that none of the other dragons were around and I took her on a tour of the island. I showed her the many other huts and explained to her that it was only a group of us living on the island. I knew I couldn’t let her near any of them for fear they’d claim her, and I couldn’t let that happen. We returned to the hut as the others got back from their fishing expedition. I was thankful they returned in their human form so that Amelia wouldn’t see them. My thoughts drifted to the need to tell her what I was and the nervousness I felt at the thought.

  When we settled in for the evening, I asked her if she was hungry and made some baked fish and rice pilaf. I noticed that she ate her food with an abnormal fervor. I cleared the table and was surprised when I felt her beside me at the sink. We washed the dishes in silence, and I wondered what she was thinking. I had begun to wonder if the wolf would come for her, but it was highly unlikely he knew where the island was. It was a tiny island off the Florida coast that humans had forgotten about. I knew she would be safe here if my secret was kept and she didn’t see any of the other dragons shift. Once we finished the dishes, she asked to take a shower, so I showed her where the towels and things were and left her to enjoy the water. I heard the water turn on, but I could tell it was just hitting the shower floor. I was getting curious as to what might be going on when I heard her wretch. I listened for several minutes before knocking on the door.

  “Amelia? Are you okay? Is there something I can do?” I was about to burst through the door when she answered with a shaky voice.

  “Yeah, I am fine, Kellan. Thank you. I think it was the fish; it just didn’t agree with me.”

  I listened until I heard the water splashing off her body and hitting the floor, and then I went to my room and tried to take my mind off her. I heard the shower turn off and after a few minutes, the door opened. I heard the soft patter of her feet against the hardwood floor. I walked to the doorway of my room and peeked out to see what she was doing. She was at my bookshelf and had grabbed a book on dragon history.

  “Crap,” I muttered as I ran down the hall to stop her from reading any of it. “Find anything interesting?” I hid a smile as she jumped.

  “Oh! Uh, yeah you seem to have a lot of books about dragons; are you obsessed or something? I’m sorry for snooping, by the way. I just wasn’t ready to lay down yet.”

  I smiled at her and motioned for her to sit. Explaining my obsession with dragons wouldn’t be an easy feat.

  “Oh, just something I liked as a kid,” I said. She held the book in her lap, and I knew she was curious. I thought to myself that she should read it and discover the truth, but it scared me to think of her knowing. I didn’t understand why I was so worried about what she thought. I had just met her; I shouldn’t care. The truth was that I cared very much though, and I was also motivated by the fact I needed to find my mate very soon, or my dragon would take control of me. I felt my dragon wrestling inside of me pushing for release, and I knew my time was drawing short. I needed to tell her, but my fear overtook me, and I kept my secret inside. We talked for a while, the book still in her lap. We had talked for a few hours when she stretched and yawned. She stood and dropped the book on the table in front of the couch and headed for the guest room.

  “Goodnight, Kellan. Thank you again for all your help. I really appreciate it.” I smiled and bid her goodnight and watched as she walked down the hall. As I watched her walk down the hall, I felt a sadness in the pit of my stomach. I didn’t want to be without her. I shook the thought from my head. What was I saying? I had just met her; I shouldn’t be feeling this way. I had never experienced this before. I went to bed and tried to push those feelings down and concentrate on sleep.

  I woke to the sound of glass breaking and ran to the kitchen. I found Amelia frantically trying to pick up the pieces of a coffee cup she had dropped. I bent down and began carefully picking up pieces as she frantically apologized.

  “You okay?” I asked her as I glanced around the room. Terrified, she looked back at me like a deer in headlights.

  “I-I’m so sorry, Kellan, it slipped from my fingers. I’ll replace it. I promise.” I dropped the remnants of the cup in the trash can and grabbed her hand, looking it over carefully. I tilted her chin upward with my index finger, forcing her to look at me.

  “Amelia, it’s all right; it was just a cup. I have plenty more.” I brushed a tear from her cheek as it escaped her eye. Whoever had kidnapped her had done damage, and I knew if I was going to claim her as my mate, it was going to take a lot of work to reverse it. I helped her finish cleaning up the mess and made her a cup of hot tea. I smiled at her as I put the teacup in front of her and pushed it toward her. “Drink up. That will make you feel better; I guarantee it.” I winked at her and made emphasis on the end of guarantee to add sound to the ‘tea’ part of things. I was a firm believer that tea helped most things, even if it only took your mind off it for a bit.

  I fixed breakfast as she drank her tea and I noticed she took some sort of pill. I sat a plate of eggs and a bowl of oatmeal in front of her and as she looked at the plate, I noticed she turned a bit pale and jumped up. She ran down the hall with her hand over her mouth and darted into the bathroom. She slammed the door shut as I walked to the doorway. I heard her wretch just like I had the night before and I began to wonder what was wrong. I resisted the urge to throw open the door and go in. I knew I needed to give her space, but if there was something wrong, I wanted to help. I could sense that she had been through a lot in her life especially the last few days. I wanted to take her pain and protect her from harm. I wanted her to have a good life from this moment on. I fought with myself over the thoughts racing through my head. I didn’t know why I was feeling those things for her when I had only met her two days before. I was brought from my thoughts by a knock at the door. I opened the door to find Daryus, a fellow shifter, standing on the porch. He looked upset, so I stepped out and closed the door behind me.

  “Daryus! What a nice surprise! To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?” I grinned as Daryus rolled his eyes and made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat. “Cut the crap, Kellan. I am here because we need to have a meeting tonight, and as leader, you have to notify everyone.” My brow furrowed in confusion as Daryus spoke and I rubbed the back of my neck as I tried to think of what to do. I didn’t want to leave Amelia here alone, but I had a duty to my clan. I couldn’t just shirk my obligations or more of them would show up at my hut. And then they would all know about Amelia, which was the last thing I wanted.

  “Okay, Daryus, I will send the notifications, but I want you to tell me what the meeting is for. I need to know before I speak tonight.” I noticed that he was very anxious, and I wanted to get to the bottom of the problem. He acted like he didn’t want to tell me, and I was frustrated. “Daryus, what is it? I won’t know how to
take care of the issue unless you tell me what it is.” I watched him as he paced back and forth on the porch. I looked up at the window on the door and saw Amelia peeking out. I smiled and motioned that I would be a minute and she disappeared from the door. I turned back to Daryus as he finally began to tell me what was going on. “We think there have been wolf shifters snooping around our storage sheds on the mainland and it appears they’ve been readying boats. We’re going to have to go and investigate it.”

  I growled in frustration. Were they coming for Amelia? They had to be. I told Daryus to prepare for a trip to the mainland the next day. I went inside and sent out the meeting notifications from my office and then went to find Amelia. I didn’t want to frighten her, but I knew she needed to know that her kidnapper was possibly preparing to come for her. I had to reassure her that he would not succeed in taking her. There was no way I would allow it.

  I found her in the living area looking at the bookshelf, and I held my breath as I watched her grab the same book she’d had the night before. To my surprise, she placed the book back on the shelf and grabbed one that had nothing to do with dragons. I heaved a sigh of relief and made my way over to her. I smiled as she looked up at me.

  “You must like to read if you keep browsing my insufficient collection.” She threw her head back and laughed a hearty belly laugh, and I felt a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach that I’d not felt before. I did my best to push it aside and got back to the task at hand.

  “Yes, actually I love reading, and the collection works well enough,” she smiled.

  “Amelia, can we sit? I need to talk to you about something. It won’t take long, I promise.” We sat on the couch, and I noticed the worry line on her forehead had creased. I didn’t want to take away her security, but I knew I had to let it loose. “I don’t want you to worry because you are safe here, but I was just informed that we’ve had wolf shifters snooping around our storage sheds on the edge of the mainland and it appears they’ve been readying boats. Now before you panic, know that you are safe here and I am going to go check things out with a few other guys tonight. Everything will be fine.” I saw the panic creep into her eyes and she visibly began to shake. Without hesitation, I pulled her into my arms and held her close and murmured words of reassurance against her hair.

  “I believe you. Thank you for allowing me sanctuary here,” she said.

  Once she was calm, I explained to her that I had to go to a meeting to discuss the issue with the guys that were going with me the next day. I sat with her while she read; I could feel her relax beside me and I was grateful she felt safe with me. I hoped that I could keep my promise and keep her safe, but I wasn’t sure if that would be possible, especially if anyone in the clans found out.

  After dinner, I attended the meeting, and the plan was made for the next day. We knew it could go wrong and we had to prepare ourselves in case that happened. I could feel the dragon inside eager to burst forth, and I knew I had to keep it contained as long as I could. I didn’t want Amelia finding out about me yet. I knew I needed to tell her before she found out; I just needed to find the strength to say the words. I didn’t think I could handle the rejection I was sure would follow. The evening was quiet, and bedtime came early. I felt the nervous energy radiating from her, and I knew she was scared what daylight would bring.

  Daylight came, and I tiptoed down the hall, trying not to disturb her. I got to the kitchen and was surprised to find her already there. She was in front of the stove, and I had to resist the urge to put my arms around her. I fought with myself inwardly and scolded myself for the thought. Amelia wasn’t mine, and as much as I wanted her to be, I knew she most likely wouldn’t be, especially when she found out what I was. We ate breakfast in silence, and as I stood to clear my plate, I felt fear rise in her. I walked over to the table and held out my hand to her. She took it, and I pulled her up from her chair and hugged her to me. As I held her close and felt the fear leave her, I knew the connection was growing stronger, and I had to do what I could to preserve it. Once I knew she was okay, I headed out to meet the other guys, and we headed for the mainland. I hoped the wolves would be there; my dragon was itching for a fight, and for her, I would do anything.

  Chapter Three

  Amelia

  I stared out the window for a long time after he left. Part of me hoped he’d just come back and not worry about the wolves. I knew from what I had seen in the weeks past that Kellan and his friends wouldn’t stand a chance against them if they found them. I had to do something to take my mind off what they were doing, so I decided to take a walk. They had no clue what Danny’s cronies were capable of. Since the whole place was sand, I decided to leave my shoes at the hut and go barefoot. One benefit to the island was shoes weren’t going to keep me stuck anywhere. That afforded me the freedom to do some recon of my own. I hadn’t had a chance to explore the island other than the quick tour Kellan gave me. It seemed like he had wanted to hurry so no one saw us. I was eager to see the island at a slower pace. To learn about the nooks and crannies that lined the land and get a feel for the topography. One needed to know their surroundings, right? I shut the door behind me and made my way down the steps and relished the feeling of my feet sinking into the warm sand. I was also sick of being cooped up. That was how I spent nearly every second while with Danny and the wolves, and I didn’t want to do it anymore. The outdoors beckoned, and I was heeding the call.

  I walked along the beach in front of the huts and noticed how they all looked the same except for Kellan’s. His was bigger and more ornate and grander. It almost looked like a castle. I giggled at that thought and continued walking around the island. I walked to the edge of the water and let the tide cover my feet. I was amazed at how the water felt. I’d been to the beach a dozen times, but something about this island felt different. I felt so relaxed and worry free; I was glad Kellan had found me and brought me here. I knew I needed to tell him my secret, but I couldn’t afford to be cast aside again.

  I walked along the beach and looked at all the little shops that were set up. I noticed that they were run by women only and that there were no men in sight. I thought it was strange, but I said nothing to anyone. The women looked at me strangely, and I wondered if something was wrong with me. I started to get angry when I saw them whispering to each other. They stopped as I walked toward them.

  “Hi, my name is Amelia. Is there a reason you’re talking about me?” A tall, thin brunette came around the counter and stood beside another girl in front of me.

  “We were just wondering who brought you here. We were flown in from the mainland months ago, and it was the best decision we ever made!” They chatted excitedly about the island and how great it was and how I was going to love it. What they didn’t know was I already loved it and was afraid I’d be forced to leave once Kellan found out my secret.

  I told the girls goodbye and continued my tour of the island. By the time I made my way back to Kellan’s hut, the sun had almost set. I went inside and rummaged around in the kitchen until I found something to cook. The food was almost done when Kellan returned from the mainland. He looked tired but lit up when he saw I’d made supper for us.

  “How was the trip? Did you figure anything out? Am I still safe here?” I felt worry bubble up in me as I asked him my questions. He walked over to me and put his arms around me, slowly rubbing my back. I felt calm wash over me, and I pulled away from him so I could put the plates on the table.

  “The trip was fine, and it did look like they had rummaged through the storage units but it looks like they haven’t been there for several days. We didn’t see any evidence of boats either. We’ll keep an eye on it, and you are always safe here, Amelia.”

  The way his eyes burned into me ignited a feeling I hadn’t felt in a long time. I knew I couldn’t let myself feel for him what my heart was trying to explore. Once he found out my secret, there would be no way he’d want me to stay. I decided to change the subject and compliment the island
.

  “I took a walk today, and the island is very nice. I met some nice girls today as well. There is only one thing wrong with this island.” I watched in amusement as his face changed from shock to concern.

  “What would that be, Amelia? I always thought the island was perfect.” I laughed at the look of indignation that crossed his face. “Well, it’s December, and there’s not one hint of Christmas around this place!” I grinned as his face softened and a look of relief swept across his face.

  “Yeah, we aren’t much for Christmas around here. At least we haven’t been in the past. With all the wolf attacks and everything it’s just been hard to celebrate much.” I understood where he was coming from, but I missed Christmas. I was determined not to let everything that had happened ruin it for me. Once we finished eating, he cleared the table and washed the dishes, ignoring my protests. I knew he had to be tired and I wanted him to rest. I tried to help him, but he sent me away from the kitchen, so I went to the bookshelf.

  I looked through his books and only found one that interested me. It was the book about dragons I had pulled off the shelf the other day. He had seemed like he didn’t want me to read it and had distracted me with conversation. I passed it up, not wanting to make him uncomfortable, but I wondered why he owned so many books about dragons. I finally settled on one of the few romance novels he had and sat down to read. I was just getting to the good part when there was a knock at the door. Kellan opened the door, stepped outside, and closed the door behind him. I couldn’t understand why he never invited people inside when they came to the door. I turned around on the couch and pulled back the curtain a bit so that I could see outside. It was the same man that had knocked on the door the day before.