Soldier Dragon's Second Chance

by Brittany White

  It was hard to sneak away from her. After his breakdown on the beach, she had been reluctant to let him out of his sight. He did not blame her. If the situation was reversed, he would have tied their wrists together.

  But finally he found the opportunity. The second evening they were in Lagos they went into town. They ate breakfast at an open-air café and strolled down the cobblestone street, enjoying the quaint stucco buildings.

  “I’d forgotten how nice it is here,” she said.

  “It is very nice.”

  “You can say it, you know.” She grinned up at him. “I know how you feel about Vegas.”

  “I happen to appreciate Vegas very much.” He squeezed her shoulders. “It’s where I found my mate again.” It was true that Vegas had grown on him, although it had not been love at first sight.

  Finally, Carolina saw a dress store she wanted to visit, and he had the opportunity to duck into the local jewelry store.

  The jeweler came forward to greet him. “May I help you?”

  “I need a simple wedding band.” Carolina would have to wear it on a chain around her neck if they chose a life where they shifted often. “And I needed it inscribed.”

  After looking through the inventory, he chose a simple silver band that would look great with her dark hair. He knew she would prefer simple over flashy.

  “What would you like it to say?” the jeweler asked.

  “Just two words—My love.” He knew how much it meant to her now. In the old days, he’d said it without much thought. But after he’d said it at the canyon without understanding the implications behind it, he’d been vigilant not to use it again.

  Until he lost the new part of his memory at the beach. That day, he didn’t know any better.

  He glanced at his watch. Carolina would be done shopping at any moment. “I can pay double for the ring if you can do it now.”

  The man hurried, and fifteen minutes later, Davi had a little black box inside his pocket.

  Carolina had a surprise for him too. When she strolled out onto the sunny street, her jeans and t-shirt were gone. They had been replaced by a long flowing sundress. It was pink with little yellow flowers.

  He opened his arms. “My love. You look stunning.”

  Her cheeks flamed, turning a crimson red as she stepped into his embrace. “I didn’t see the point in buying a dress until you could remember. But now, it seems worth it.”

  He stroked his hand through her long dark hair. “Before we go to Ireland, I’d like to revisit the beach one last time.”

  “You mean you don’t want your last memory of our home to be you writhing in agony?”

  He chuckled and held out his arm. “I do like this new sense of humor you’ve developed.”

  She grinned, and tucked her arm through his.

  On the same beach which had been so integral to their relationship, he got down on one knee. “Carolina. My mate. The love of my life. Will you marry me?”

  She didn’t hesitate. She leaped onto him, sending them both crashing to the sand. “Yes!”

  He sprawled in the sand, happy to have her slight weight on top of him. “When?”

  “As soon as possible,” she said. “I am not waiting any longer.”

  He slid the ring onto her finger, and she lovingly traced the inscription with her finger.

  Unable to resist her big smile, he gave her a peck on the cheek. “Where?”

  “We met here, and we got engaged here… But I think we should have the wedding in Vegas!”

  “That’s the best idea I’ve ever heard.” He hoped there’d be less hassle there. “Do you want a big wedding or small wedding?”

  “Small ceremony. I don’t really have anyone to invite now that I’ve left the motorcycle club I was in.”

  “They are welcome as far as I’m concerned.“

  “No. That’s never going to happen. I’ve left that part of my life behind and I’m okay with that. Do you have anyone from the military you’d like to invite?

  “No. I plan to keep in touch with some of them over time. But like you, I feel like I’ve moved on. I’ve made peace with it.”

  “I understand that. As for the guest list, Niall and Nora had humans at their wedding. So we had to behave ourselves and watch what we said. I think it would be nice if we had a small wedding with only the people we know well.”

  “So the guest list is the Texas dragons and their children, Niall and Nora, and Garrett.”

  “Yes. That would be perfect.”

  “I’ve only met Kellan and Fallon. Maybe we should pay them a visit in Texas so that I can meet all of them.

  “That will thrill them. Be warned. They will love you, and they will beg you to come live near them.”

  She laughed.

  “You think that I am kidding.”

  “I will take it under advisement.”

  “Do you have a favorite place in Vegas? I don’t know anything about weddings, but I do know if you tell Clara or Juliana, they will help you plan all the details.”

  “Is that what they did for Nora?”

  “Yes. They completely took over.”

  “I considered asking Garrett if we could get married on his balcony, but I don’t know if the little dragons could handle that. It might be too tempting to throw themselves off and fly.”

  “That’s true. The older ones would do okay, but the younger group is still learning.” Davi recalled how they’d spent a lot of time during the dragon festival scaling the outside of the castle.

  “How about in front of the Bellagio Fountains? That will give the hatchlings something to look at.”

  “That sounds like a great idea. It's very Vegas. It will make a great story for the grandkids.”

  She gasped covering her mouth with her hand.

  “What is it? What is wrong?”

  “We just haven't talked about children yet.” Except that moment on the beach, when he’d thought she might be feeling ill because she was pregnant. Neither of them had been ready to revisit that comment at the time.

  “Do you want them?”

  “I don’t know. I think I do. I assumed we’d have them when we were first together. But that was because it was expected. Neither of us really questioned it.”

  He pressed his forehead against hers. “We have plenty of time to decide. But for now, I’d like to relive that memory.”

  “Which one?” she asked.

  “The one where you’re naked.”

  “I think I can make that happen.” She stripped off her flowing yellow dress, and flung it to the sand.

  “Oh Lord,” he said. He grabbed her. “My dragon is going crazy right now. He finally feels settled, now that he knows you are mine.” He lifted her, carrying her closer to the cave, so there was no way anyone could see them. Standing up, he pressed her back to the smooth cave wall.

  He shucked his own shirt and shorts, and took her into his arms, kissing her while his hard cock rubbed up against her.

  He lifted one of her legs, wrapping it around his waist, but left the other on the sand. “Do you remember the time we did this before? In the woods?”

  “Yes.” Her voice was full of emotion. “I’ll never forget it.”

  “And now, neither will I.”

  Carolina let her head loll back while he scraped his teeth over the delicate skin of her neck. She cried out, thrusting her pelvis against his, desperate for friction.

  He pushed his hand between their bodies, seeking her core. “You’re so wet. Wetter than you got before.”

  “I want you even more now, if that’s possible. That’s why.”

  He let his finger skirt over her folds, feeling the slick that coated her sex. He pushed one finger inside her body, relishing the feel of her warmth.

  “So this is because you want me?”

  “Yes! Davi. Please.” She dug her fingers into his shoulders.

  “Mine. Mate,” his dragon roared.

  “I want you so much,” she said. “I’ll
show you.” She let go of his shoulders, and dropped to her knees. She kissed across his stomach, and down to his cock, where she licked from base to tip.

  He traded spots with her, leaning back against the cool cave wall. “Put your mouth on my cock. Get it wet.”

  She complied, opening her mouth, and moving it up and down on his rigid cock. Before long, he stopped her. He got on his knees with her. “My mate. My love. I will never tire of seeing you taste my cock. But I need more now.”

  “Me too. I need you in me.” She pulled his head toward her, and sucked on his bottom lip. “We need to celebrate. You’re my mate, and you’re also my fiancé now. Soon you’re going to be my husband.”

  Davi’s cock pulsed. He could not imagine anything hotter than being married to his mate, and he was going to spend the rest of his life proving that to her.

  He stood up and pulled her to her feet. “Does the cave wall feel okay on your back?”

  “Yes. It feels good. My skin is so hot.”

  “Good.” He moved her backward again, and pushed her legs apart. “Because I’m going to make love to you here in this spot where I got my memory back.”

  19

  Carolina

  Carolina pressed her bare shoulder blades back against the stone. She had told Davi the truth. Her skin was hot, and the cool wall of the cave felt good.

  She had had no idea Davi was going to propose. She knew he’d been a little shifty that morning, but she thought it was just the aftermath of his getting his memories back, and all the revelations that came along with that upheaval.

  He’d kept trying to break away from her all morning, but she’d wanted to keep a close eye on him. It turned out that he was just trying to plan a proposal.

  And now, he was fucking her on the beach where he’d gotten his memories back, and they were going to get married in Vegas, where he’d found her. She loved the symmetry of it.

  He had been kissing her breasts for the past few minutes, and she was zoning out, her mind buzzing with pleasure. Davi began to rub his hard cock over her entrance and then up over her clit, and her mind whited out a few times.

  “That feels good,” she said, spreading her legs even farther.

  He parted her folds with his fingers, and then his cock was right at her entrance.

  “Please, fiancé,” she said.

  When he heard her call him fiancé, he slid his cock into her body in one long thrust, until he was fully seated inside her body. She put her hands on his thick biceps, squeezing his hard muscles. Every part of him felt so good.

  He began to thrust right away, rocking her backward into the rock. If she’d been human, it would have scraped her back. But for Carolina, it felt amazing. She liked feeling the rhythm of the thrusts from his cock, along with the steady beat of his heart.

  He lifted one of her legs again, changing the angle. He picked up the pace, and started hitting her sweet spot.

  “I’m getting close,” she moaned. “Please. Davi.”

  “Please what? What do you need me to do?” He fixed his lips to her jaw, and then her neck, and sucked.

  “Ah! I need you fuck me.”

  He increased the force of his thrusts now. He pushed her leg up higher, and began to slide his fingers over her clit with feather-light touches.

  “Don’t tease!”

  “I’m not teasing. I’m building the anticipation.” He pinched her clit, matching the speed to his thrusts, and her entire body clenched up.

  “I’m coming,” she cried out, as her body began to contract with the force of her climax. Waves rolled through her body, squeezing his cock as her pussy tightened around him. He stayed inside her body for minutes, as the shock waves kept coming.

  As soon as she’d gone limp, he picked her up and laid her down on the sand. He spread her legs, and pushed inside her body again. He gathered her close, cradling her in his arms as he made love to his mate. Very soon, his cock throbbed once, and then pulsed, releasing his pleasure into her willing body.

  He kissed her forehead. “I love you.”

  “I love you too,” she murmured. And then she was fast asleep.

  The trip to see Niall and Nora was very peaceful. Nora had cried as Davi thanked her for unlocking the spell to cure his curse.

  Without Nora, Davi would still be stuck in the past. She’d tried something risky, and she’d performed a spell over the phone from hundreds of miles away.

  “You’re quite powerful,” Carolina said to her.

  Nora had blushed, and their mates had hovered close by, probably terrified that motorcycle-riding Carolina would smack the petite little Nora.

  But Carolina had only grabbed her and hugged her tight. “We owe you everything,” she said. “Whenever you need, for the rest of your life, I’m there.”

  Carolina wasn’t quite sure, but she was leaning toward moving to Ireland. She thought it would be the perfect place for her and Davi to regroup, and get their lives back on track. Plus they’d be out in the country, close to Nora and Niall.

  Niall was a good, solid male. He was dependable. The Irish would say that he was restful. And Nora was a genius. Carolina suspected none of them knew quite how talented of a witch she truly was.

  She and Nora had really hit it off.

  They stayed for an entire week, until they figured Nora and Niall would need some time to themselves. They were still newlyweds, after all.

  On the day they left, Carolina asked Nora to be her matron of honor.

  Nora cried when she said yes.

  “I am so glad we went to Skopje that day,” she said as she hugged Davi and Carolina at the same time.

  That was a sobering thought. Their random trip had brought Davi into their lives, and through them, into hers. It was all so conidencental that it was surreal.

  Or maybe it was fate.

  Carolina liked to think so.

  After that, they flew straight to Texas.

  The Texas crew was waiting on them at the airport. Every single one of them.

  Kellan and Clara, Quinn and Juliana, Liam and Brynne, and Brennan and Fallon stood waiting for them. And all of their many hatchlings.

  As soon as they descended the ramp from the plane, they held up a banner that read ‘Congratulations!’ and the two oldest kids shot green confetti into the air while blowing horns.

  “That’s Declan and Rowan,” Davi said.

  “The confetti is made of leaves,” Declan shouted as he raced by.

  “And we have a lot!” Rowan yelled. He ran straight toward her and then veered left at the last second. “Hi, Davi’s mate!”

  “Are they always like this?”

  “Yes,” Davi said.

  “I love it,” she said. She had been fooling herself about not needing to have kids when she was living in Vegas. She wanted them, even though shifter children had more energy than human children. They required a lot of activity.

  Clara and Juliana and Brynne introduced themselves, and Fallon came up to hug her. Clara held a young girl who looked to be around three. She reached her little arms out toward Carolina, and Carolina lifted her, settling her on her hip.

  “Hello. What’s your name?”

  “My name is Shannon. I give you this.” She thrust a small package into Carolina’s hand.

  Carolina opened the box open with one hand, along with the little girl’s help. Inside the box was a silver necklace. On the chain was a small, silver dragon, surrounded by a circle. Engraved on the circle was the word ‘família.’

  That was generally the kind of jewelry that a shifter would give another shifter, because they could still wear it while they transformed.

  The card was from all of them. It said,

  Carolina,

  Welcome to our family. We can’t wait to get to know you.

  You always have a place with us.

  Love,

  The Texas shifters

  She had been used to living with a large group. But they were mostly men with a few women sprin
kled into the Motorcycle Club. They were a family of sorts, but nothing like this.

  Family. Mine.

  Her Dragon clearly approved. She wanted to belong again, a group who understood her. They would all be patient with her and Davi as they adjusted to their new lives.

  She hugged Shannon close. She smelled like Starburst candies and cinnamon. “Thank you, Miss Shannon. I love it.” She put Shannon down, and handed Davi the necklace. “Will you put it on for me?”

  He moved her hair out of the way and made sure the clasp on the necklace was closed.

  “Thank you.” She couldn't stop her voice from cracking. “It feels wonderful to meet you all.”

  As soon as they arrived at Kellan’s mansion, the women pulled Carolina aside while all the men went out to the backyard to swim with the kids.

  “I’m sure Davi warned you about us,” Juliana said, with a beaming smile.

  “Warned?”

  “Yes. We love weddings, especially me and Clara. We are so excited for you. Give us details.”

  Right. She had been warned about this, but she didn’t mind at all. She’d spent the last five years in a dusty bar during the day, riding motorcycles with a bunch of guys, and she’d spent her nights interrupting petty criminals on the Vegas strip.

  She’d loved that life. It was over. She was ready to embrace her new one. A life where she would have female friends who were more like sisters.

  “I don't think a warning was necessary.” She would just give them the truth of her background. “For the last five years I was living in the desert. I ran a bar called the Red Canyon. I rode bikes in a motorcycle club.”

  Fallon's eyes widened. “You had a motorcycle? What kind?”

  “Harley-Davidson.”

  All four of the women seemed surprised. “Wow, what was it like to be in a motorcycle club?” Clara asked.

  “In many ways it was good. It was like having a massive extended family. I think I always held myself a little bit apart from it. Because I wasn't a human, and I was the only one who wasn't.”