Dragon, Be Mine

Clan Saor-làithean ~ 1

Dragon Guard #42

by

Julia Mills

There Are No Coincidences.

The Universe Does Not Make Mistakes.

Fate Will Not Be Denied.

Copyright © 2020 Julia Mills

All Rights Reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictional manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

NOTICE:  This is an adult erotic paranormal romance with love scenes and mature situations. It is only intended for adult readers over the age of 18.

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DEDICATION

Dare to Dream! Find the Strength to Act! Never Look Back!

Thank you, God.

To my girls, Liz and Em, I Love You. Every day, every way, always.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Proofread by Book Nook Nuts

Cover Designed by Rebecca Pau with The Final Wrap

Beta Read by Charlene Bauer and Jacqueline Craven

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

About Julia

Also by Julia

Dragon, Be Mine

Index of the Words from the Original Language of the Dragon Kin

Saor-làithean……….Holiday

Leannan……….Sweetheart

Mo ghille……….My boy

Mo chroí……….My heart

Mo ghrá……….My love

M ’ionmhas……….My treasure

Mo Maité……….My mate

M ’aon ghaol……….My only love

Mo ghaisgeach brèagha……….My beautiful warrior

Curaid……….Warrior

Mar sin bheannaich mi. Mar sin bidh……….

So I have blessed. So it will be.

Dhuibhse, bheir mi mo chridhe, gu bràth agus gu bràth……….

To you, I will give my heart, forever and ever

Chapter One

“No worries. I got this. Y’all are busy with all that Neveryon Nexus crap. It's just a quick trip to the only place in the Universe where the sun never shines. I like rain, really I do." Yep, he was lying through his teeth, but the Isle of Dagda was better than the frikkin’ North Pole any day of the week and twice on Sunday. “Tell Nessa I’ll be back in time to DJ the Sweetheart’s Dance. There’s no way in all the Heavens we can let her pick out the music. Dancing to foot-stompin' fiddle tunes is NOT happenin’ on my watch.”

Passing his tedious journey tirelessly reliving the conversation with his Commander, Ven had mentally kicked himself in the ass so many times, his butt hurt almost as bad as his ego. “Just nominate me for Putz of the year,” he growled, to which his Dragon King, Áed sarcastically snickered, “Already done, Laddie.”

There’d only been the slightest chance of making it back for that blasted Valentine’s dance when he called forth his Dragon, taking to the sky like a shot out of a cannon. But, damn it all to Hell, how was he supposed to say no to the most famous, not to mention revered, Dragon Guard Commander in the history of Dragonkin?

Wynne Caimpion was an honest-to-the-Ancients legend with a capital L. With a last name meaning champion, Destiny hadn’t taken any chances. How could he be anything but a Leader, one of the greatest of the Universe’s Chosen Warriors? Every Dragon under the age of three hundred idolized the Commander, and Ven was no exception. Every minute of every day was spent trying to live up to his Leader’s example.

The day he’d been selected to train with Clan Saor-làithean had been the single happiest of his life. His friends laughed, teased him about being one of the 'Holiday' Dragons, but Ven knew all too well that the name of one of the Dragon Guards' most elite Clans was little more than a ruse. 

Named in the time of war, when Dragon and Knights fought side-by-side for King and Country, the Ancients chose the best, most formidable Warriors from each of the brightly colored Clans of the Eternal Gems. Titling them something unsuspecting, what some even called trite - Saor-làithean was a stroke of pure genius. Meaning ‘holiday’ in the Gaelic of old, only the most fierce, tactical minded, determined, and powerful Dragons were among the first to don the crimson S on their shields, to lead the charge against magical and non-magical, fear-mongering enemies of all sentient life.

Ven was good, some might even say on his way to being great, but there was no doubt in his mind that he'd been given a coveted chance to be part of the best of the best because his father and Wynne served together in the Guard. Along with other great Guardsmen, they’d been lifelong friends and saved each other’s butts in battle more times than either could remember.

Born of two pure-blooded Dragon parents, both of the Ruby Clan, Ven had been groomed to take the throne. As far back as he could remember, everything centered on him ruling his own Clan with his Mate by his side and a dozen children running around the countryside, but Ven MacLeish had other plans.

Stories of great battles and even more spectacular victories to share with his children and grandchildren. Lifelong friendships built on years of service in the Guard. A legacy created by his own deeds, not just handed down based on the blood running through his veins. That was what Ven longed to have.

“One day I’ll command my own Force, teach younger generations the true meaning of honor and loyalty. Pass down the traditions that have shaped our kin.”

“Aye, you will, Laddie.”

It was no understatement to say he wanted it all. But even more, Ven wanted the one woman the Universe made for him. A Mate who thought he hung the moon and stars. Who was the light to his darkness, the soft to his hard. The one person who would stay by his side for all time…someone who saw him for what he was – scars and all- and loved him all the more for it.

She was out there. Every story ever heard, every promise from the Ancients, every fairy tale ever read, they all said the same thing – every Guardsman will find their one True Fated Mate. Two halves of the same whole, she will be his perfect complement, complete him in all ways. Only then will he know true peace and forever love. Finally, blessedly, he will have found home, have received his true and rightful gift from the Universe.

“All I have to do is be patient,” he ground out through gritted teeth.

“Aye,” Áed agreed. “But you’re a little short on that virtue, my friend.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. I’m workin’ on it.”

 Working and waiting, both were a bitch. It also sucked that he'd been grounded by the gale-force winds and driving rain the Isle of Dagda was known for.

The epicenter of all things weather, the birthplace of the Leader of the Tuatha Dé Danaan Tribe of the Gods, Dagda himself, the cauldron-shaped island on the edge of the Bermuda Triangle was the least traveled place in all the world. Meaning, Ven would have to rely on his wits and the landscape to escape the hurricane of epic proportions threatening to blow his scales - as well as other very important parts – right off his body.

“For the first time in my life, I wish you were a Water Dragon, Áed. Fire’s great but doesn’t help at all right now.”

“Always wantin’ what ya’ don’t have,” the Dragon King’s retort was brusque, the heat of his ire stinging the inside of Ven’s mind. “Ya’ should’ve listened to Hayden.”

“Thanks, Asshole. Where were you with that advice twelve hours ago?”

Tucking his chin into his chest, Ven pulled the bill of his hat farther over his face as a shield, the old Dragon’s thick brogue echoing even louder than the tempest. "Storm's a-brewin’, Laddie. Watch yourself, the Weather's a fickle mistress, and always blows in surprises." As if the Black Ryder’s words hadn’t been enough, the sly grin and chuckled, “Keep a sharp eye, ‘cause bombshells come in all shapes and sizes,” that immediately followed should’ve sealed the deal.

“Yeah, right, ‘cause I was thinkin' about anything other than completing the most dangerous mission to impress Wynne,” he scoffed. “Just call me Scarecrow.” Hunching his shoulders against the gushing torrents, he added, “If I only had a brain.”

“You’ve got a brain,” Áed snickered. “You just forget to use it sometimes.”

Thankfully, they were interrupted, relieving Ven of the need for a witty comeback…that he didn’t have.

“Any luck finding shelter?” Jackson, another of his father’s friends and the oldest of their Force, asked, his deep baritone rumbling through Ven's mind.

Trying to hide his frustration from a man he considered more than just a mentor, the Ruby Dragon clipped, “Almost there. I can see the trail through the trees a few feet ahead.”

“Good lad. Get the hell outta that rain. Get dry. Get warm, and don’t you dare get back in the air until the storm’s passed. Then hightail your ass back here. That’s an order.”

“I’ll be sure to light a fire as soon as I find shelter.”

“See that you do.” And with that, their connection snapped shut. As always, when Jackson was done talking, the conversation was over.

“Grumpy old fart,” he mumbled under his breath. “I love you, too.” One foot in front of the other, each step like walking through quicksand, the gale force winds battering his body, Ven appreciated the constant flow of powerful healing magic from Áed. The old Dragon King could be a serious pain in the ass, but he was one of the good ones.

Following the trail he’d seen from the air, Ven cut through the thick vines and broad palm fronds, breathing a sigh of relief when he found the mouth of a vast wave-cut cave. Opening his senses wide, checking to be sure he wasn't invading another predator's territory, it was hard to get a bead on anything through the howling winds.

“Take a chance, or be the first man to drown standing up?”

Stepping into the darkness, the instant and complete lack of noise and water was nothing short of miraculous. “Best decision I ever made.”

“Yes, yes, you deserve a gold star,” Áed snorted. “You literally had the good sense to get out of the rain. Good job, Laddie.”

“Bite my ass, Old Man.”

Ears ringing, his body tingled at the absence of abuse. Shaking like a dog, a thought that actually made him chuckle despite the situation, he was amazed at the huge puddle of water at his feet.

"When I was a kid, jumpin’ in a puddle would've been the highlight of my day.”

“And you’re not a kid now? Or at the very least act like one?”

Ignoring Áed, his expression sobering as a gust of wind made its way through the cave’s entrance, Ven shivered. “I need a fire.”

Walking further into the darkness, his drenched senses returning with every step, he and Áed pushed the mystical tendrils of intuition farther ahead. Human sight turning to that of the Dragon King, Ven zeroed in on an expansive labyrinth of tunnels and alcoves. “This place is massive.”

“And thankfully abandoned,” Áed confirmed.

Both man and Dragon knew they could fight off anyone - animal or otherwise - who tried to throw them back out into the storm, but neither wanted to. It wasn't in Ven's nature, and he was the one running the show, no matter what his Dragon King thought.

Display diplomacy first, only use fighting as a last resort, was how Ven had been trained. Plus, he was tired, completely drained, and more than a little discouraged that his plans to impress his Commander had fallen short. All in all, he was just ready to get done and get home.

Ducking into the first cavern he discovered, it was an awesome surprise to find a substantial stack of dried branches beside a glistening pool of water. Watching the spring flow down the stone wall, feeding the pond washed away even more of his tension. “Funny how the water outside tried to kill me and this…” He motioned with a nod towards the pool. “…calms.”

Eyes back to the pile of brush, he added, “Looks like someone else got stuck here before me.”

“Hope they made it home okay. This place is not for the faint of heart.” Áed’s comment was just another reason Ven had so much affection for the old King. Sure, the Dragon could be difficult, cranky, even tetchy at the best of times, but he had a heart of gold. 

Searching the entire area both visually and preternaturally and finding it blessedly empty, he got right to work. Letting his jaw fall open and with little more than a thought, let Áed take control, never growing tired of watching the ancient Dragon fire materialize. Stripping out of his soaked clothing when the flame was nice and warm, he hung them to dry on the small hook-shaped rocks jutting from the cave wall.

Still shivering, genuinely understanding the meaning of the saying, 'soaked to the bone' - Ven shoved his arms and legs into the last dry pair of sweats and wool socks in his pack. Wrapping up in his dad’s old army blanket, the one he never traveled without, his muscles began to warm. And, right on cue, his stomach growled.

Laughing out loud, he mimicked Nessa, the Clan’s Elder Healer and mother to all, “Are ye ne'er nae hungry' Laddie. Dae ye hae a hollow leg?”

Digging around in his pack, sure there had to be something left of the provisions the Healer had packed, he kept talking in her Celtic lilt. “That's all yer poke will hoold. Be sure tae ration. Yoo're nae good tae us water-logged an’ floatin’ on yer belly.”

“Not good to me either,” he snorted in his own voice

Finding the stash at the bottom of the bag, the next thing he needed was something to use as a cooking utensil. It took some scrounging, and a bit of bitchin at himself for not pulling a stick out of the pile before setting it alight, but never one to give up, he finally found one in the farthest corner of the grotto.

Whistling a tune from his childhood as the freeze-dried sausages cooked and buns dried out, he spread out his sleeping bag between the fire and the wall, rolling up the extra blanket to serve as a cushion. Halfway between standing and sitting, already tasting the excellent smelling food, his head fell forward as he groaned, "Something to drink. How could I forget to get something to drink?" Back upright, he added with a grumble, "Couldn't be because I was being pelted with gallons and gallons and gallons of water just a few seconds ago. Or, that I swallowed about half of it."

Wishing the pool was filled with anything other than water, he knelt down while checking for anything unwanted lurking below its placid surface. Pushing his canteen into the water, watching the bubbles, the true depth of his exhaustion settled in. Eyes threatening to close, Ven jumped to attention when a chuckled, “What’s up, Cap’n Ahab? Staying dry?” Burst into his mind.

“Ha, ha, ha. Very funny, Asshole.”

“Why, yes, I am. Very funny. And I’ve got more where that came from,” Manny, his closest friend, joked.

“I know you think you do.” Happy to hear his Brethren’s voice, even if the jerk was making fun of him, Ven kept up their usually lighthearted teasing. “That’s what scares me.”

"Seriously, though, you okay?"

“Yeah, I’m good. Found an empty cave to wait out the storm. From what I’ve read shit around here changes about every twenty-four hours. There’s always an hour or so break between weather systems. Figure I’m about a day and a half, two if the crosswinds don’t die down, from home. I should be there by the weekend. Can’t let Nessa pick out the music of the dance. Y’all’ll be dancin’ to accordions and tin whistles.”

“Holy shit, I hadn’t thought of that. Please hurry.”

The fake fear and outrage in the Sapphire Dragon's tone were priceless. His quick wit and ability for levity no matter the situation was one of the many reasons he and Ven had become instant friends.

“You know I suck with all things electronic. I mean, I can try and hook up your sound system, but…”

"Oh, hell, no. Hands off my shit. Do you know how long it took me to amass my sweet, sweet setup? I'll make it there, come waterlogged balls and floating buttholes.

“Waterlogged balls and floating buttholes, huh?” Manny barked with his usual contagious, uncontained laughter. “That was priceless. I really am rubbing off on you.”

“Yeah, right,” Ven faked a growl. “In all the wrong ways.”

“Hey, wait!” Manny’s snicker still evident even as he tried to sound affronted before once again bursting out laughing, “I resemble that statement.”

“Oh, hell yeah, you do. And then some.” Really wanting to keep talking to his friend, if for no other reason than to take his mind off being trapped in a cave in the freakiest, most unpredictable place in the Universe, Ven, unfortunately, had other things to attend to.

Like the tap of footsteps coming his way.

“Thanks for checkin’ in, Bro. I really appreciate it, but I gotta go. Pretty sure I’m ‘bout to have some company.”

The mood of the conversation doing an immediate one-eighty, Manny’s tone became hushed and urgent. “Watch your back, Bud. And get your ass home in one piece.”

“You got it. See ya’ soon.”

Unwilling to put out his fire and lose its warmth but needing to know what or who was making its way towards him, Ven filled every cell of his broad six-foot-eight frame with pure Dragon magic. Not wanting to start the fight, but willing to defend his position, he used the blanket around his shoulders and his imposing stance to block the entrance to his alcove.

“You ready, Old Man?”

“Aren’t I always?”

Entirely focused on the footfalls lightly tapping the stone floor, the decadently floral scent of roses and bergamot left him breathless and stunned. Wrapping around him, cocooning him in warmth and a sense of recognition, he simply couldn’t get enough.

Inhaling deeply, his pulse raced. Pupils dilating. Sweat wetting his hands and sliding down his spine, his heart attempted to beat out of his chest as his cock jumped to attention. Of its own volition, his body leaned forward, just as Áed raised his massive snout, snuffling the air.

Unable to stop his forward motion, Ven left the safety of his makeshift abode, nearly stumbling into the corridor. Shaking his head, the need to clear his thoughts, no matter how difficult, of utmost importance, his eyes were drawn to the warm, soft glow illuminating the distance between where he stood and the mouth of the cave. At first glance, it seemed like the light was floating on its own, empowered by the mystical forces of the island, but peering more intently, pushing more of his enhanced senses in its direction, the outline of great looking legs came into view.

Curiosity peaked. His libido went into overdrive. Getting closer was all that mattered. He had to know the person attached to those legs.

Turning towards the light and the allure of a captivating stranger, Ven held perfectly still. Letting them come to him, showing that he was in complete control of the situation was what the Warrior demanded, inhaling the succulent scent was what both man and Dragon desired.

His training demanded he look away, take cover from the sheer magnetism of what he could only assume was a specter, but his heart insisted he stay right where he was. And…what the heart wants, the heart wants. Something deep within his soul, something he’d never felt before, vowed the best was yet to come. Promised that nothing untoward would happen.

Filled with awe and wonder, not even Áed could keep him on his feet. The pull was too great, the promise of something so magnificent too potent. Reaching forward as he fell to his knees, his heart skipping a beat.

Light dimming at the precise moment a beautifully breathy gasp echoed off the cavern’s walls, Ven leaned forward still, pushing magic into his eyesight. A flash of recognition, like a light bulb popping to life in his head, he breathed, “Am I going blind?”

“No, not blind,” Áed impatiently muttered. “You’re passing out, ya’ daft bugger. And, before we get to see the girl who goes with those legs.”

“Well, do some…”

But the rest was lost to a thump and thud as the Guardsman faceplanted on the cold, stone floor.

Chapter Two

No sooner had she crossed the threshold of the cave, her makeshift home for the past week, than her senses went on high alert. Someone had invaded the only safe haven she had, the one place she could rest and recharge.

Letting her Lightning Spark, the most powerful, non-lethal defense in her arsenal, lead the way, Izett carefully crept towards her grotto. The tiniest nudge of her mental abilities revealed no mere man, but one with extraordinary powers.

The goodness of his soul, his incredible inner strength, and an abundance of bravery called to the Fionn Faoll, legendary White Winged Wolf, with whom she shared her soul. Not only powerful, he was also a good man, a Shifter with magic nearly as old as her own.

She could’ve, probably should’ve, doused her light and quickly introduced herself to someone with such valor. Her head said it was the right thing to do. Her heart said nothing was as it seemed.

Something felt off. Not with him. With her.

From the moment she’d gotten close and touched the man’s mind, everything had gone haywire. Not only did her heart erratically race out of control, but her skin felt too tight, and her need to fidget was damn near uncontrollable.

On high alert, her hackles up, Izett's White Wolf pushed her closer, inhaling the man's fresh, smoky scent. Then things got downright absurd, her fingers itching with the need to touch his olive skin.

Not one damned thing made sense. Especially not the bead of sweat inching down its way down her spine or the intoxicating images of the most handsome man she'd ever seen in various stages of undress flooding her mind.

Never in all her years, more than she cared to admit, had anyone affected her in such a way. Most definitely not a man. And she’d dated more than a few. No one special. Nothing to write home about. It only ever happened when she was absolutely sick and tired of her sisters' endless nagging.

No matter how many times or how many ways she explained, they just didn’t understand. It was different for her. She wasn’t a Timber Wolf like the rest of her family. That would’ve been too easy.

Through the power of the gods and the good deeds of her ancestors, Izett was none other than the White Winged Wolf – the Fionn Faoll. The Lupine Queen created by Dagda’s Lightning, she was the Supreme Being who would be called to find the lost Guardians of Time and restore powerful enchantment to the Crystals of Fate.

Memories, bright and brilliant, of the first time her awe-inspiring alter ego had burst forth filled Izett’s mind. The Luna Wolf standing tall, her muzzle tilted towards the Heavens, snowy fur glistening in the moonlight.

Unfurling her wings, an elegant combination of feathers and fur brought together by the power of Dagda’s Lightning, currents of her magnificent magic streaked through the air. Throwing back her majestic head, she announced her emergence with a resounding howl to the Celtic gods of old.

The White Winged Wolf knew her purpose, embraced her destiny, imbued Izett with the knowledge of the ages. Together, woman and Lupine would restore the balance of time, open the hidden portals, and guide the Magical world to their Eden.

“No pressure,” she scoffed. “Sure, I’ve got time to waste. No big destiny hangin’ over my head. Why not date a few weirdos who only want to see my wings or talk about how cool it is to meet the first Fionn Faoll to be born in a millennium?” 

Maybe she wouldn’t have been so bitter if even one of them had tickled her wings or made the Fionn Faoll howl. Par from the course, her siblings blamed her for the horrific catastrophes that were her dating life.

“You’re not trying hard enough.”

“You’re too independent…”

“… too hard-headed.”

She could hear their voices as if they were standing right beside her.

"Yeah, well, y'all can pound sand," she snarled.

The right man, her True Fated Mate, was out there…somewhere. She could feel it in her bones. Knew it in her heart. All she had to do was complete the first Task of Dagna for the celestial year. Then she would be free to don her wings and hit the clouds in search of the man the Universe had made for her.

"If only I knew what the hell the task was." Tapping the tips of her fingers on her pursed lips, a habit from her childhood, she sighed, "Why does nothing in the magical world come with an instruction manual? Cliff notes? Cave drawings? And what the hell is the hold-up? Leap year messin' up the works?" Turning a complete circle, she kept right on talking to herself. "And I'm totally cut-off, utterly incommunicado. Can't even pick a fight with Alexa." Just saying her sister’s name, the one of four closest to her own age, brought a smile to her face. "At the very least, I'd get sisterly brownie points for being stranded with a drop-dead gorgeous man."

Shaking her head, snickering at her own craziness, she refused to be any more distracted than she already was. Yes, the unconscious dude on the floor made her mouth water, and her hormones do the happy butt dance, but he wasn't her Mate. He wasn't Wolf. Just her luck. 

No questions asked. That was just the way it was. The way it has always been. It wasn’t in Izett’s repertoire to fuck with Fate and Destiny.

The tomes of the Ancient Elders foretold the future of the last and greatest Fionn Faoll and her valiant Mate. He would be tall and handsome, loyal and trustworthy, and, most importantly, loving to a fault. The man the Universe made for her was her match in every way. The dark to her light, the hard to her soft, the fire that powered her Lightning.

Remembering the story her mother, the Seer of their Pack, the one person on earth entrusted by the Ancients with the history of the Fionn Faoll, told of the first White Winged Wolf and her Mate, Izett wistfully sighed. Stars in her eyes, her voice taking on a hallowed, hushed tone of pure awe, the Seer had woven the tale as if she’d been there.

Traveling across time and space, returning the Guardians of Time to the Cave of the Crystals of Fate, a distress call pulled the Fionn Faoll from her flight. Dropping to the ground, the injured man’s safety became her prime focus.

Tingles raced through her body as her fingertips touched the rippling muscles of his arm. Her stomach clenched, her heart beating so hard she feared it might burst.

Eyes glued to the crimson of his blood painting the white sand, panic filled her soul. She couldn’t lose him. Had to save him. Her future, their forever, depended on his survival. 

Slamming her hands to his chest, shoving wave after wave of healing magic into his broken and battered body, she pleaded with all her might to the Heavens and the gods of old. What seemed like hours passed in the blink of an eye. The feel of his lifeforce growing stronger, the exotic warmth of his inherent mysticism rubbed alongside hers. It was magical, mystical… intoxicating. 

Raising her eyes, praying some of the color had returned to his pale, pallid complexion, she could barely breathe. One look was all it took. Captivated by his deep brown eyes, the golden highlights dancing in the midday sun, she couldn’t look away. Heart jumping for joy when his pupils dilated and his chest heaved, she knew he felt it, too.

His smile, sly and knowing, made her feel feminine, admired, adored for the first time in her life. Alone on the secluded island, caught in a dream of their own making, time stood still.

The low timbre of his voice touched something deep inside Fionna. It was love at first sight…kismet…Fate. He was the one. There would never be another, ever, for all eternity. Their love was transcendent, one for the ages, and a gift she passed down to all generations.

Izett treasured that story, carried it with her always. Not only because of who she was, but because it meant so very much to her mom. It was a constant reminder of the unconditional love and hope Martha gave to her children and proof of the amazing adoration True Fated Mates share. Unfortunately, her optimism was turning to frustration with each day she was all alone, stuck on the same blasted island every year, waiting for divine intervention.

Her pigheaded, Alpha-to-the-bone father had been adamant that she leave right away, even though it was nearly a month earlier than every other year. Assured her that her preternatural senses would kick in and tell her what she needed to know.

He’d told her to be patient and find shelter. Skeptical didn’t begin to describe how she’d felt. She’s questioned him until he’d literally walked away from her with nothing more than a huffed, “Do as I say, Izzy. Dagda has spoken,” over his shoulder.

So, she’d done as she was told. Harry might be a pain in her ass, but he was her daddy. He loved her. Izett knew he’d never put her in danger. 

Flying directly to the coordinates she’d been given, the opposite side of the cauldron-shaped island than any other time, finding shelter had been relatively easy. Landing during the ‘calm before the storm’ - the time between one event and another - something most humans think is only a turn of phrase, it took no time at all to find her cave.

The vast cavern cut into the dense, craggy mountains, the sea creating a breathtaking work of art. Swirls of shells and coral embedded in the wall, spectral salt crystals hanging from the ceiling, geometric designs left by the millions of years of high and low tides, all culminated in something beyond explanation. It was better than any work of manmade art she'd ever witnessed and something that helped her pass the time after gathering her supplies.

All that was left was the waiting.

And waiting…

And waiting…

Day three still no word, no sign from above or mystical kick in the ass, and Izett was ready to climb the beautiful walls of her grotto. Hanging around, doing nothing wasn't her thing. It was maddening.

Reaching the end of her rope, she’d called out to her dad. Then more urgently to her sisters. When that didn't work, she tried Emissary to the great Dagda. But all requests went unanswered, reverberating back to her like the psychic cellular network had been disconnected. Her patience, or lack thereof, was at its breaking point.

Bored out of her skull, she hiked to the highest peak, thinking maybe getting up higher, closer to the Heavens, would help with the reception. Still the same shit. No matter what she did or said, her calls came right back.

It was the weirdest thing. Alexa, Sabrina, Melissa, and Monette - her sisters - had never ghosted her. Even when they disagreed, one of them always answered. For that matter, none of the people she was calling would just ignore her. Something or someone was blocking her transmissions. Had to be. It was the only logical explanation.

At the best of times, the Isle of Dagda was shrouded in mystery. Weird things always happened, nothing ever felt the same way twice, and every damn thing was by design. The Cheerful Chief of the Gods, Dagda himself, was as happy go lucky as any god could be with a wicked sense of humor and a knack for playing tricks on those he loved most.

“Wow, I feel so lucky,” Izett huffed, thinking about the weird sensation she just couldn’t shake. 

Not bad, or good, just there, making her look over her shoulder, making her edgy and a little bit cranky. It almost felt sentient, so much so that she attempted every form of communication she could think of, to no avail.

“Fine,” she sassed the emptiness. “Be like everybody else. Just ignore me. I’ve got thick fur. I can take it.” Cold, tired, and more than a little discouraged, let her shoulders slump forward and blew out a long-suffering breath. “Maybe tomorrow will be better.”

The entire sprint back to the cave, she couldn't stop dwelling on that damned creepy feeling. What was it? What is a person or a thing or…? Where was it hiding? Why hadn't it answered? At the very least, shouldn't it have reacted to her presence?

Reaching the mouth of the cave, she stepped over the threshold. Snapping her head to the side, the roar of an especially brutal squall demanding her attention.

“Son of a bitch,” she spat, gawking as half a palm tree whipped past the spot she’d only just been occupying. “Rain sucks. Wind is worse. The two together are super shitty.”

Sharing her soul with a celestial Shifter whose spirit was the essence of Lightning pretty much made Izett weatherproof, but that didn't mean she had to like all its fickle phases. No girl in the history of the world wants to have her hair messed up – didn't matter if they walked on two legs or four.

Smiling at her own silliness, Izett’s gaze returned to the man at her feet. She felt terrible that her Spark had rendered him unconscious. It’d only happened once before, and that guy hadn’t been half as pure of heart as her handsome stranger.

In the past, she worked hard to dial it back and keep it under control, but the feelings this guy stirred within her acted like gasoline on a fire. Ruled by her emotions and oh what awesome emotions they were, the longer she was close to this man, the brighter her Lightning flashed.

Then he crumbled in a heap at her feet. Talk about dousing a flame. She wondered how many times she would have to apologize. Maybe he’d give her credit for hurrying over to be sure he was okay.

"Or maybe he'll think I'm the ditsiest blond he's ever met." Unable to take her eyes off of him, she went on talking to herself, acting as if she was speaking to him. "Where'd ya' get that tan? Not here. Nobody lives here. Hell, who'd want to. I don't even want to come here the four times a year I have to."

Gently pushing her magic towards the stranger, checking to be sure there were no broken bones or a concussion, she was instantly relieved to find him merely dazed. The longer she stayed connected, sharing her lifeforce with the most handsome man she’d ever laid eyes on, the stronger the desire to touch him became.

Living, breathing within her, the need was overpowering, undeniable, and it felt good, too. Kneeling beside his head, she reached out then jerked her hand back.

Rolling her eyes, huffing her platinum bangs out of her eyes, she groaned, “Could I be any more of a dork?” Trying again, her hand hovered just over his forehead. "You can do it. Just do it. Stop being such a wimp." Taking a quick breath, then another, then one more in quick succession, she whispered, "Will I be able to stop if I start?" Eyes darting back and forth from his magnificent face to her hand, she groaned, "Get over yourself, Izett. Just make sure the man’s all right. Be sure he doesn't have a temperature. Maybe he's got the flu. Yeah, maybe that's why he fainted." Shaking her head, thoroughly disgusted with herself, she groaned, "But Shifters can't get sick, Butthead. Just touch him. Heavens knows he’s not gonna bite. At least not while he’s unconscious.”

Still not sure why she was so embarrassed or why she felt like a shy teenage girl trying to work up the courage to talk to the star quarterback. It made no sense at all. She was Fionn Faoll, not some frail flower.

“Buck up, Buttercup,” she ground out through gritted teeth, slowly lowering her hand towards the tiny scar just over his right eyebrow.

Heat, masculine and sultry rose up to meet her palm. Shifters, all of them she’d ever encountered, ran hot, but not as hot as her handsome stranger. And they damned sure didn’t smell as good either.

“What are you?” She murmured, the very tips of her fingertips just barely grazing his skin.

“Holy shit,” she gasped, a current of electricity shooting up her arm, landing deep in her soul.

Heart beating so loud it drowned the treacherous storm beating against the walls of her cave was disconcerting, to say the least, but worse than that, her traitorous libido shifted into maximum overdrive. Images of stripping him out of his soft gray sweats, touching every inch of his incredible body, and marking him as her very own flooded her mind.

“You really should stop touching him,” she scolded, her breathy tone making her blush. “What if he wakes up? Ever thought about dying of embarrassment? Won’t that look cool on my tombstone?”

Letting her head fall to the side, happily noting that he was equally handsome from every angle, she mused, "What is it about you? My head says I should run for the hills. At the very least, make a beeline for the farthest corner of this cave and barricade that sucker with everything I've got."

But she wasn’t moving. Her body had a mind of its own, her hand moving to stroke his cheek. The current between them, the one that nearly knocked her flat on her ass, calmed to a slow burn. Continuing to flow freely, it warmed Izett from the inside out. “Now, it all makes sense. No wonder Alexa and the girls are so obsessed with men.”

It’d never made sense until that very minute. For more years than not, Izett wondered if there was something wrong with her. Thought maybe she’d gotten shorted in the genetic lottery when it came to all things dating and men. Year after year, her sisters swooned over one man after another while she sat dumbfounded, wondering how they could feel anything more than a passing fancy for someone who was not their True Fated Mate.

But now, oh sweet Goddess, that she’d experienced such an amazingly intense reaction to a perfect stranger, her eyes were wide open. Everything made sense. It was intoxicating in the best of ways. And, she never wanted it to end.

Lost in her thoughts, trying to come up with a way to apologize to her sisters for all the times she made fun of them, not looking forward to the chorus of ‘I told you so’ that she would have to endure, Izett almost missed the low groan accompanied by the slight roll of her intruder’s head. Little more than a sigh, she'd never heard anything better. His movements so small if she'd've blinked, she'd have missed them was unfortunately still enough to break the spell created by their skin-to-skin contact. Jumping to her feet, she backed away, wishing for the ability to make herself invisible.

“I’ve lost my ever-loving mind. Water on the brain. The wind’s shorted out whatever good senses I had left,” mumbling under her breath, Izett tried to deny that her handsome stranger was so much more than 'just a man.' 

Standing perfectly still, unable to so much as blink, she watched…and waited. The play of his muscles as he rolled to his side, pushed himself to a sitting position, and shook his head was nothing short of spellbinding.

Eyes still glassy, he ran his fingers through his hair then scratched his jaw. “What the…”

Involuntarily taking another step backward when his eyes found hers, she breathed, “What the hell?”

She wasn’t scared. She didn’t feel threatened. On the contrary, every cell in her body screamed for her to move closer. The little voice in the back of her mind screamed, “Wake up, Izzy. Something awesome is happening. Nothing’s ever gonna be the same, it’s all gonna be so much better. If you don’t open those big eyes of yours, you’re gonna miss all the fun.”

Goosebumps danced up her arms and down her spine as she longed to hear his voice again, to feel his low gravely tones roll over her senses. It made her lightheaded, tingly all over. It made her feel…whole.

"Life-changing. Life-changing. Life-changing," the chant repeated over and over in her mind.

Color returning to his face, the vibrant glow of his skin lighting up the cavern, damn, he just got better looking with every passing second. Noting the flair of his nostrils, she knew he was scenting her as she had done the same to him. The way his pupils dilated so completely left her wondering what color his eyes really were.

Then he stood, and every molecule of air was sucked from the cave. Taller and broader than she'd initially thought, his agility and flexibility were hypnotic. There was no denying that he was a huge man, but it was his sensual grace that conjured fantasies of long, hot nights, something otherworldly and all-encompassing that it made Izett long to know him better.

Before seeing 'her stranger,' she’d never thought any male could be graceful. Strong…yes. Capable…absolutely. But this man was poetry in motion. He was the best discovery of her very long life.

My stranger? Did I really just say ‘my stranger’? He’s not a Wolf. He can’t be mine. I really am losing my mind.

Never breaking eye contact, something she would be eternally grateful for, Izett forced her heartbeat to slow down. Standing no more than ten feet from him, she simply stared. And, thank the Heavens, he stared right back. Neither moved. Both were perfectly content just as they were.

Watching in wonder, the black of his pupils fading back to the deep brown of his irises, the same color as his hair, she was reminded of her favorite sweet treat – rich, decadent chocolate. Eyes glistening from the firelight spilling into the passageway, Izett saw the man’s good nature, along with a brilliant sense of humor shining in their depths. No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than she longed to hear him laugh.

“I think I might’ve invaded your territory. I found this cave and thought it was deserted.”

His voice was the best sound she’d ever heard. Helpless to do anything but listen, Izett knew she should say something…anything, but her mind was blank except for the wonderfully naughty, erotic thoughts of the man before her.

Clearing his throat, obviously unnerved by her silence, but powering on, he continued, his tone unsure, questioning. “You do understand English, don’t you?”

Still awestruck, unable to do anything else, Izett slowly nodded.

Made infinitely more attractive by his quick, easy grin, her heart sang when his deep, rich chuckle filled the cave. “Thank the Heavens. My language skills are limited to English, a little Gaelic, and well, umm, curse words from at least twenty-some-odd other languages.”

Instantly enamored, totally disarmed by his charm, Izett burst out laughing. Immediately slapping her hand over her mouth as she blushed from head to toe, it took all her considerable strength to get her giggles under control.

Breathing a sigh of relief when he laughed right along and even happier when he pretended not to notice her embarrassment, she nodded when he motioned towards the grotto. “Let’s get you dried off and warmed up. You’re gonna catch your death.”

Following his lead, sure to walk close enough to feel his warmth but careful not to touch him for fear she’d be the one fainting, Izett inhaled as much of his distinct, spicy scent as she could. Continuing over the threshold, her steps stuttered to see that he’d made himself at home so quickly.

Any other time, she would've been irritated. It might have been said on more than one occasion that Izett was overprotective of her space. Of course, her crazy sisters were wrong. She wasn't controlling, she just liked her solitude…and everything in its place. Was that too much to ask?

But not this time. Now, it felt natural to be with someone... with him. In her mind, they were supposed to be sharing, meant to be together.

Letting go of the breath she been holding onto by a thin fraying thread, praying he hadn’t noticed how nervous she was, Izett sat on the opposite side of the fire, frantically trying to think of something witty to say. Blessedly, he spoke first.

“I’m just here until the storm breaks, then I’ll be out of your hair. I’m supposed to be home for Valentine’s Day. Not sure I’ll make it, but I’m gonna try my damnedest.”

Izett wanted to tell him there was no rush, that he could stay as long as he liked. Was actually opening her mouth to do just that when he added with yet another of his amazing smiles, “Sorry, I guess my brain’s scrambled from smacking my head on the ground,” and she could barely remember her own name.

Running his fingers through his hair again, an endearing gesture she wanted to see more of, he chuckled, “My mom taught me better. I really do have manners. I should’ve already introduced myself. Name’s Ven, Ven MacLeish.” Holding out his hand, he paused, his eyes opened wider.

Ven… Nice name. Rugged, tough, sexy, just like him.

Once again, dumbstruck, still thinking about how wonderful his name sounded rolling around in her head, she sucked in a sharp breath as he slowly added, “And you are?”

Oh, my Goddess, could I look any more like an idiot?

Opening and closing her mouth, unable to form a single syllable, she stopped and blew out a long breath. Inhaling deeply, she finally squeaked out, “Izett…my name is Izett.”

“Well, Izett, I'm really happy to meet you. Do you think we can share this space for the next few hours until the storm lets up? I promise to get out of your hair just as soon as I can.”

Should I tell him that storms don't just blow over here on the island? That there is no rhyme or reason. That I'm the closest thing there is to Dagda's weather girl, and not even I can tell when this crap is gonna let up?

“Sure, no problem.”

“Thank you! That’s great! I’ve set up my bed over there.” Pointing to a sleeping bag on the stone floor and clothes hanging on the wall, he hurried on, “If that’s your spot, I’ll move. No problem at all. I’m just thankful you’re not throwing me out on my ass.”

His candor made her laugh, which in turn made his smile grow. She knew he felt their undeniable attraction but prayed he wouldn’t act upon it. Not because she didn’t want him to, but because it was all she could think about.

If he made a move, there was no way she could resist him, and that just wouldn’t do. He wasn’t her Mate. No matter how she and her Wolf felt. It wasn’t possible. He wasn’t Lupine. He was a Shifter, and that was awesome, just not the right Shifter, of that she was sure. Or was she?

Distracted by her inner debate, Izett didn’t hear Ven speak and completely missed him moving towards her. Electricity raced through her body when his large, warm hand touched her shoulder.

Fiery excitement making a beeline for her center, Izett sprang to her feet, the top of her head smacking him just under the tip of his chin. Both stepping back to avoid another collision, Izett escaped unscathed. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for Ven.

Ball of his foot landing on the log she’d just vacated, the wood rolled one way, but he went the other. Arms flailing mouth open wide in a silent scream, Ven went falling backward.

From that moment forward, everything happened in slow motion. Reaching for his arm, her every instinct was to keep him from harm. Apparently, his were too. He was just stronger and definitely faster.

Grabbing her hand and holding tight, the two were abruptly thrown off balance. Tumbling head over heels and over Ven, her eyes slammed shut as she braced for impact, but none came.

Following the Shifter into the warm, deep water of the pond, she was once again fascinated by his agility. Twisting his body, making sure to take the brunt of the impact as they fell into the water, his every thought was of her safety.

Spitting and sputtering, surfacing just seconds later, Izzy wanted to be mad. Wanted to rant and rave about being soaking wet, but Ven was laughing so hard she couldn’t even muster a dirty look.

His good nature and humor completely disarmed her. Opening her mouth to speak before her brain was fully engaged, what flew across her lips obviously shocked Ven, and it damned near knocked her on her ass.

“Hey, Winged Warrior, how about a little flame to dry me off?”

Chapter Three

“So, where did the Winged Warrior comment come from?” Áed snickered. “After you fell at her feet like a daft little schoolboy then played possum while nursing your bruised ego, I was pretty impressed with your slight-of-ear-eavesdropping. And even more so, that you’d kept our secret.”

“Secret? When have I ever kept you a secret?” The Dragon King's chuckle turned into full-blown laughter, a cross between a cough and hack that also tickled Ven. “Nevertheless, she didn’t know what we were.” Wiggling the scales above his huge eyes, he added with a toothy grin. “But…now she does. And I know, I didn’t tell her.”

“No. Really?” Growling in his mind while trying to be cool in front of the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on, Ven groused, “You didn’t pop out for a little meet, while I was out cold?”

“No, dear boy, I sat idly by laughing my scaly ass off at your ‘manly case of the vapors.” 

“Enough. From. The. Peanut Gallery,” Ven ground out through gritted teeth. “I need help, not heckling.”

“I can do both, Laddie. I am, after all, a Dragon.”

“And a giant pain in my ass. Go back to sleep, I have to figure this out.”

He had to admit, if only to himself, that Áed was right. He had unashamedly eavesdropped in the beautiful Wolf's mind. Yes, it was an invasion of privacy. One he should probably be embarrassed about but needs must…and he simply couldn’t resist.

It started out innocently enough, a way to see if she was friend or foe. But once there, he was enthralled with the beautiful creature’s incredible mind. She was pure light and everything good, and she was his. No doubt about it.

In all his years, he'd never imagined being in the presence of the Fionn Faoll, let alone that she would be his Mate. Hell, he was amazed to discover that she truly existed.

His mother always told him she was real. That the mythical White Winged Wolf was the Keeper of Mysteries. The past, present, and future were Hers to rule. She had access to the innermost secrets of the Universe, along with each and every soul in existence. He'd been pretty sure his mom used all of that mumbo-jumbo to keep her rebel-rousing son in line, tried to scare him into confessing whatever mischief he'd been up to, but maybe not.

“Winged Warrior, huh? Well, I don’t know about you, my sweet Wolf, but those wings come with a two-ton body.” Nodding to the side, he teased, tipping his head towards the water. “Not sure that little pool could handle the girth.”

The shock on her face was priceless, telling the unadulterated truth in all its exquisite beauty. Izett had no idea where her comment had come from or why she said it aloud. Even better, she’d picked up on his ‘my sweet Wolf’ comment and was scrambling to figure out how he knew her secret.

Linked so intimately to her mind, Ven was well aware of the feelings she already had for him, not to mention how hard she was fighting to ignore them. Her ill-conceived notion that her Mate was a Wolf would’ve made him laugh if the green-eyed monster wasn’t making it so he could barely see straight. No way was any mangy Fido-wannabe getting anywhere near his Izett.

The big fire-breathing Dragon sharing her quarters was about to claim her as his own. He’d woo his gorgeous Wolf until she forgot about everything and everyone but him. First step: get them both out of the water.

Taking full advantage of Izett’s momentary surprise, he enacted his plan. “Whatcha say we get outta here, get warmed up, and get something to eat. Then you can tell me how you knew I was a Dragon. Usually, I’m pretty good at hiding the big, growly guy.”

Not waiting for her response, Ven rolled onto his back, making his way to the side of the pond with slow even strokes. Watching out of the corner of his eye, he bit the insides of his cheeks to keep from grinning when Izett gave a cute little shrug before following his lead.

Watching her emerge from the water, rational thought became absolutely impossible. Her Dollz Kill T-shirt and well-worn jeans molded to her body with heart-stopping perfection, fueling his fantasies of what she would look like without them.

At first glance, he’d known she was beautiful. The way her glistening platinum hair gently brushed her shoulders, the large curls giving bouncing exclamation to every word she uttered was nothing short of hypnotic. The sparkle of the firelight dancing in her deep blue eyes reminded him of the stars in the sky, made him imagine them flying side-by-side.

Unable to stop his eyes from slowly roaming her body, Ven was forced to draw upon his years of training to stay put. Every erotic curve and sensual dip of her figure outlined by soaking fabric more alluring than the last, he shook with longing.

The need to mark her, to be marked by her, to have her, and be had by her, it was the most beautiful torture he’d ever endured. Eternity with his Izett would never be enough. Thank the Heavens he had forever.

With her hair slicked back away from her face, Izett’s pure, unblemished beauty was wonderfully magnified. Porcelain skin glowing, the smattering of tiny freckles adorning her nose highlighted, and the apples of her slightly blushed cheeks utterly adorable, he could stare at her for hours.

Knees nearly buckling as just the tip of her tongue slipped between her lips, wetting her bottom lip, he could no longer contain the lowest of growls. Dreams of covering her luscious lips with his own, swallowing her sigh of contentment, tasting of the fruit of his Mate consumed his every thought.

There was no doubt Izett would be his addiction…was already rapidly becoming his obsession. She was his, and there was nothing he wanted more than to claim her for all time. But Ven knew, deep down in his heart of hearts, his headstrong Wolf needed some serious convincing.

Chuffing his chagrin, pushing against his mind, Áed snorted, “Get on with it. I might actually be dying here.”

He’d get no argument from Ven, but what the big guy lacked in finesse, Ven had in spades. He was going to have to tread lightly. Scaring Izett wouldn’t do either of them any good. Pushing too hard and too fast could… could…

“I’m working on it, Old Man. But we don’t want her to disappear into some other realm. Do you know anything about her magic? I mean, she is the Keeper of Mysteries. And what if she paralyzes me again with that damn light of hers? Speaking of that…”

“I forgot to ask, what was that wall of light you nearly killed me with when we first met?” So much for tact and decorum. Maybe she would see his blunt, in-your-face question as endearing, and not discount him as a total jerk.

“Yeah, good luck with that, Laddie.”

Willing to do anything for his Mate, to ease her discomfort and calm her worries, Ven gave her a minute to collect her thoughts. Walking to his pallet, he counted to ten, taking way longer than necessary to get the towel out of his pack.

Moving in what felt like super-slow motion, he turned back towards the object of his affection and handed her the soft terry towel. Didn’t matter that it was his only one, he’d give her the scales off his hide if she needed.

“And you’re so hot and bothered, you’ll dry from the inside-out in no time.”

“Shut up, Áed.”

Thankfully, she answered before the old Dragon King could think of a good comeback.

“It was my Lightning Spark." Her head bopped from side-to-side in the most adorable way, her thoughts racing as she tried to decide how much to tell him. Choosing to trust him, something had made both man and Dragon King stand a bit taller, she gave the cutest of shrugs. “It’s easy, kinda second nature. Quicker than transforming and less lethal than any other tricks I have up my sleeve.” Using the towel to dry and fluff her curls, she stopped, arched a single eyebrow, and just the right amount of sass, added, “And I did not almost kill you. I’m not a savage. I never would’ve done that unless you attacked.” Worrying her bottom lip with her teeth, making it hard for Ven to maintain his distance, she took a step back, both literally and figuratively, her voice softer as if she was admitting a fault. “I just got...distracted. Let it shine a little longer and brighter than I intended.” Bowing her head, she murmured, “I’m so damned sorry. I promise, I meant no harm, none at all.”

It was all he could do not to close the distance between them, wrap her in his arms, and tell her everything would be okay. Moving of their own volition, his feet had taken a couple of steps when his brain re-engaged, reminding him not to charge in like gangbusters.

“I know, mo chroí. I know you would never hurt anyone without good cause." Forcing a chuckle, sure to make his smile as bright as dragonly possible, Ven tilted his head to the side, praying Izett would look up. "Probably should've mentioned that I'm a sarcastic SOB who loves to kid around.”

And his prayers were answered. Lifting her chin, smiling the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen, Izett made his day and night and all of the next week into the next damned decade.

“Note to self, make her smile every minute of every day…for all time.”

“Oh, Laddie, I’m takin’ notes. Our Mate is breathtaking.”

The need to keep her talking was overwhelming. He wanted to know everything about her, every little detail, all of it. “So how did you figure out that I’m a Dragon?” Immediately realizing his faux pas, that he was admitting to reading her thoughts, Ven quickly covered, “I mean, most people can tell we’re Shifters. Just can’t get a bead on what kind. My dad always said it was natural camouflage.” Unconsciously shrugging, his mind and body doing everything in its power to make her feel more comfortable, he carried on, “It’s the Dragon magic, so old and ancient that most have never encountered it and can’t identify it.”

Watching the fantastic myriad of thoughts and emotions cross her expressive face, he waited with bated breath, counting the seconds until she finally answered. “Honestly…” There was that smile again, this time highlighted with the tiniest bit of awkward and shy, making it even more irresistible. “I have no clue how I know.” Chuckling nervously, she hurried on, “At first, out in the tunnel, I couldn’t tell. Exactly like you said." Hand covering her heart, an unconscious, endearing tell letting him know she was being completely candid, Izett nodded, "I recognized you as a Shifter, just not what kind. Which is weird considering the magic coursing through my veins is as like beginning-of-the-world old.”

Memorizing her every expression, grinning from ear-to-ear when she crinkled her nose and giggled, “But when we were falling into the water, the image of a huge Ruby Red Dragon popped into my head. My Wolf yipped in recognition, and I just knew.”

He felt her confusion, heard her trying to reason out where the information had come from and watched her brow furrow so tightly he feared it might get stuck that way. For a few brief seconds, she let her thoughts wander, and he saw glimpses of them together before she’d quickly shut them down.

“She’s trying to ignore what she feels.”

“Get in there and make sure she can’t,” Áed insisted, his tone short and clipped.

Forcing a calm he didn’t feel, Ven nodded. “No worries. I’m sure it was just meant to be. You know…Fate or kismet.” Using her own words, the ones he’d pulled from her thoughts, he worked to look as innocent as possible. “Kinda like the way I knew who you were.”

“Okay…” She drew the word out, turning it into a question.

“You know, a like calls to like kinda thing.”

“But we’re not alike. I’m Wolf, and you're Dragon. One covered in fur, the other in scales.”

Oh, thank the Goddess, his Mate had backbone, she was strong, independent, and knew her own mind. She was going to give him a run for his money.

Well, he loved a challenge, and changing her mind was one he simply could not lose. Taking another step towards her, all thoughts of going slow, giving her time to come to terms with their attraction evaporated into thin air.

“Really? You think we’re that different?”

Moving closer still, gauging the distance he still had to go, his eyes never left her. Mind completely opened to hers, he listened to her inner debate as she battled with her attraction to him.

“I wonder if he knows what he’s doing to me?”

The thought no sooner crossed her mind than Ven’s grin widened into a knowing smile and the ook another step. Feigning confusion, he squinted his eyes and asked, “But we both have wings.”

“Yeah, I’ll give ya’ that.”

“And we’re both blessed by the Goddess and the Universe.”

So close, he was bathing in her heady scent.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d swear you had a prepared speech.”

There it was, that sass, that fire, the spice mixed with the sweet that made Izett his perfect match in every way, confirmation that the Universe did not make mistakes. Taking the last step towards her, the electricity of their connection damn near stopping his heart. Izett’s sharp inhale, the diamond glow of her Wolf's eyes mixing with her own sapphire said it all, Fate will not be denied.

Still not touching, Ven murmured, “And you want me to kiss you just as much as I need to kiss you…”

Attraction won out over intellect. His lips touched hers. And the earth moved under his feet.

It was everything he’d imagined and so much more. She tasted of citrus and honey, filling a part of him he hadn’t realized was empty. Soft and warm, her lips, just like her body, fit perfectly to his. Opening to him without reservation, her surrender to Destiny was nothing short of life-affirming.

Their passion grew. Marking the nape of his neck with the blunt tip of her well-manicured nails, marking him as he longed to be marked, Ven's growl of satisfaction reverberated from deep within his soul as her fingers dove into his hair. So close, he could barely tell where he ended, and she began, her hardened nipples pushed through their layers of clothing.

Committing each curve, every swerve of her miraculous body to memory, he knew he’d found his forever. She was everything a woman was supposed to be, and she was all his, even if she didn’t know it yet.

Unable to contain the raw, primal hunger that only his True Fated Mate could arouse, Ven’s fingers gently gripped the perfect globes of her ass. Lifting her into his arms, her legs immediately wrapped around his waist.

Cock jumping against the soft cotton of his sweats, seeking the fiery heat of her body, Ven struggled to catch his breath. Wanting more, needing more, he'd never felt more complete than he did at that very moment.

With little more than a thought, he moved them across the cave. Lowering them to his sleeping bag, Ven was careful to keep contact with the woman who'd in a matter of minutes had become the very beat of his heart. Fresh and clean, honeyed and succulent, the scent of rose and bergamot, of fire and cedar, came together just as the Dragon was becoming one with his Mate.

Longing, yearning, craving more, a hunger for which only Izett could satisfy roared to life within the very depths of both man and Dragon. Tearing his lips from hers, he moved along her jaw, tasting and teasing, to her ear where he paid extra attention to the special little spot behind her ear holding tight the more her passion erupted.

Kissing the elegant column of her neck, caressing her collarbone, leaving a trail of his scent on the only woman he would ever love, he moved the damp cotton of her shirt as he went. Touching all of her, every inch, making her his in every way was more than desire or passion…it was Destiny.

Dipping under her loose neckline, he paid homage to the top of the abundant swells of her breast, savoring the way she arched her back, begging for even more of his attention. Needing all of her, aching for the skin-to-skin contact only his Izett could give him, he reached between their bodies, opening the waistband of her jeans with incredible dexterity.

Faster than he ever knew was possible, Ven stripped the offending denim from her body and threw them over his shoulder. Sliding down her body, pushing her t-shirt up as he went, his heart soared, and his mouth watered when his lips finally made contact with the silken skin of her stomach.

Lavishing her bare skin, breathing in her very essence Ven knew he’d died and gone to the Heavens. Izett’s hands in his hair, pulling harder and harder as her passion grew, spurred him on. He was loving his Mate, branding her as his, showing the entire world to whom she belonged.

Izett was hot and wet, her body ready to be loved, but he had to be sure her heart and mind felt the same. Had to hear it from her lips, not pull it from her mind. She had to say the words, and it had to happen now.

Once he tasted her, there would be no going back, there would be no stopping. The Call to Mate was growing stronger with every beat of his heart. The instinct to see his mark upon her flesh undeniable. The official Mating Ceremony could come later, whenever and wherever she wanted, as soon as she finished the mysterious task she'd been sent to complete, the limited information of which he'd pulled from her mind.

We’ll do it together. From this moment forward, together in all things, forever.

Breaking contact, he lifted his head, barely holding back his manly chuckle of pride when her eyes popped open, spearing him with a look of utter disappointment. Lips swollen from his kisses, cheeks flushed from her arousal, a look of total adoration quickly replaced her initial displeasure as he drew a ragged breath, unable to believe the beautiful creature before him was his.

“You okay there, Beautiful?”

As if some tremendous mystical vacuum had been flipped, all the air was sucked out of the cave.  Passion vanishing from her eyes, she jerked her hands from his hair, her palms slamming into his chest. Before Ven could react, before the blood had returned to his brain, Ven found himself being tossed to the side.

Moving so quickly everything was just a blur, he jumped to his knees just as the roars of his Mate filled the grotto. “Wait! Wait-wait-wait. No-no-no-no-no. We can’t do this. It’s not right.”

Stunned into silence, trying with all his might to get his bearings, Ven’s eyes captured Izett’s. Kneeling at the end of his sleeping bag, wrapped in his father’s blanket, she sat poised for…battle? A hasty retreat? He was baffled. Her thoughts were so tightly shielded, their Mating Bond completely closed off, he wouldn’t have known she was there were he not looking right at her.

Haloed in the brilliant spectral form of her White Winged Wolf, the image of Fionn Faoll the better half of the massive grotto. Vibrating with power, electricity popping and cracking, the regal Lupine Queen spread her wings.

Bolts of lightning shot from the tips of her furry feathers, the scent of ozone enveloping every molecule of everything in the whole place. Pushing out her chest, her glowing gaze delving into Ven's very soul, the magnitude of everything Fionn Faoll signified was laid bare before him.

"Well, damn, that's never good."

“Shut. Up. Áed.”

With his own words still ringing in his mind, Izett’s snarled, “Shut. Up. Dragon,” hit the Guardsman like a ton of bricks.

"Wait!" Both hands in the air, index fingers pointed at his Mate, Ven demanded, "You can hear Áed?" Not waiting for an answer, the volatile mixture of unspent passion, fear of losing Izett, and honest-to-the-Heavens-brain-melting frustration had him damned near foaming at the mouth. "You can hear my Dragon King, one of the original Warriors of the Universe, and you still deny that we're Mates?"

No longer hiding the fact that he’d read her mind, needing everything out in the open, he charged on, “I know you feel what’s happening here. The truth of who we are to each other.” Motioning between them, the tips of his fingers pounding into his own chest, he seethed, “So why do you insist on clinging to some half-assed idea that your Mate has to be a Wolf?”

On her feet, the bolts of her lightning lengthening, striking the ground, their sparks flashing deep red and fiery orange, she charged towards him, a storm raging in the depths of her eyes. “Because that is the way of Fionn Faoll. The way it has always been. The way it will always be. The Universe has created my perfect Mate." Stopping right before him, the static electricity of all that she was made of made the hair all over his body stand on end. Eyes bouncing from her face to the clenched fist of her free hand beating against the side of her thigh as she white-knuckled the blanket covering her glorious body, he demanded with his glare that she continue. He could give her all the time that he could to finish her explanation. After that, he made no promises. 

"When the time is right. When Destiny demands it. When Fate deems it so. Then and only then, will I find the male who completes me as no other ever could. We will come together as one, our love transcendent, our bond unbreakable, and He. Will. Be. Wolf."

Saying the only thing he could, Ven leveled his gaze and without the slightest hesitation avowed, “You. Are. Wrong.” Slowly getting to his feet, he stalked towards her. Leaning down until they were eye-to-eye, forcing their Mating Bond open, demanding she listen with not only her ears but with her heart, her soul, he shoved magic into every syllable he spoke. “Just as sure as the sun’s gonna rise in the east and I’m gonna love you forever, I know that I am your Mate, and you are mine. And if that means I've gotta be a Wolf, then hand me a fur coat and call me Fido." Taking the last scant step, his chest touching the back of her hand where it held tight to the edge of the blanket she hid behind, he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulled her closer still and narrowing his eyes added with a growl, "But never forget, I am Dragon. Hear me roar."

Chapter Four

The strength of his conviction was powerful. The depth of his belief impossible to refute. It was mind-boggling. 

The sensation of his hands upon her skin would never go away. The feel of his lips upon hers was indelibly burnt into her memory. Add to it the slow burn deep within her that only he’d ever ignited, and every ounce of Izett’s common sense was obliterated.

Could all the stories have been wrong?  Was her Mate truly a Dragon?

With more questions than answers, more confusion than resolution, she did the only thing she could, Fionn Faoll got to her feet and paced. Ven's eyes following her around the grotto should've been irritating, should have made her pressured, instead, it was reassuring, almost comforting to know they were in this confusing mess together.

Starting her third trip around the rippling pool of water, the cold hard truth that she was marching around in nothing more than an old army blanket became glaringly obvious. Using it as a much-needed way to break the tension, Izett threw her free hand in the air, snorting, “How long were you gonna let me parade around in my makeshift toga?”

Making her way back to the sleeping bag, catching Ven's cheeky grin out of the corner of her eye, it wasn't easy for her not to react. Sexy as hell no matter what he was doing, dammit if his cock-sure attitude and double-dose of playful arrogance didn't make her weak in the knees.

With her t-shirt in one hand, while the other held up the blanket, Izett whipped through every possible scenario for getting dressed without flashing her bra and panties in Ven's face. Coming up short on ideas with even less patience to spare, she took a quick breath, dropped the coverlet, and slid the t-shirt over her head.

Drying not only her clothes, but Ven’s with little more than a thought, she shoved one leg and then the other into her jeans. Doing the same with her feet into her boots, she could feel his eyes following her, and oh great Goddess, what the heat of his stare was doing to her libido should have been illegal.

Why had she let him kiss her? Why had she kissed him back? Had she lost her mind? How had things gotten out of control so quickly? How had she ended up damned near-naked and almost…

You know exactly how it all happened. And, also know that if Ven wasn’t such a good man, it would all be over but the shouting.

Would it have been so bad?

Stopping mid-step, she let that single question play over and over in her mind. It was time to be honest, time to face up to facts, meeting Ven was the best thing that had ever happened to her. Heaven help her that blasted Dragon made her feel truly alive, absolutely complete, unbelievably loved.

“Damn, wish I could talk to mom.” Mumbling under her breath, she once again started to pace. “Mom always had the answers. She knew exactly the right thing to say or do in every situation.” Not missing a step, she let her head fall back, pursed her lips and blew out a huge breath.

Whether it was divine intervention or just Izett's incredible imagination, the Winged White Wolf would never honestly know. But in that very moment, her mom's voice – full of sweet southern twang – sounded in her mind.

“Stop stalling, Girl. You know you’re just puttin’ off the inevitable. You’ve got to talk to that man.”

“But what should I say? Sorry, let my hormones get the best of me. Can I get a redo?”

“Is that what you want?”

“Yes. No.” Slapping her hands against the side of her legs, she groaned, “I don’t know.”

“Oh, but you do.” Not only did the imaginary words of the figment of her mom she’d conjured in her mind hit the mark, but the wave of motherly love and warmth of unconditional acceptance that followed sealed the deal.

“Thanks, Momma. You never let me down.”

Spinning on her heels, eyes going directly to the man declaring with all confidence to be her Mate, she was sad to see he’d gotten dressed but pleased to have caught him unawares. Admiring the play of his well-toned physique under the soft grey cotton of his t-shirt, her fingers stretched and flexed, remembering the heat of those muscles to the touch. 

Sucking air between her teeth when Ven bent at the waist and straightened the blankets, Izett couldn’t take her eyes off his backside. Denim had never looked so good, and the way it caressed his butt and outlined his powerful thighs, well, she had to believe those pants had been made just for him.

With that and many other deliciously naughty thoughts running through her mind, Izett had just taken a step in his direction when Ven looked over his shoulder and winked.

Oh. My. Goddess. He can hear me. How the hell did I forget that he can hear me?

Wondering if there was an asylum for half-witted Shifters or better yet, a hole she could crawl into and hide for the next thousand years or so, a flash of light in the region of her heart and soul drew her attention. There it was, dazzling and arresting, unassuming in its importance – a mental pathway that hadn’t been there before.

Knowing instinctually, she had nothing to fear, Izett followed the sparkling light. Deeper and deeper into a part of herself she hadn’t known existed, what she found not only made her lighter and happier, but it felt suspiciously masculine and overwhelmingly Dragon-like.

Feeling Ven's gentle touch, the soft caress of his mind to hers, she couldn't deny how calm he made her feel. His confidence that everything would be all right was contagious. Looking through his eyes, experiencing his emotions, she could see their future together, almost believe that he might genuinely be her Mate.

“How the hell can you be so sure?”

“How can you not?” Ven’s retort was instantaneous and matter of fact.

“Well, I…ummm…I mean…”

"It wasn't a trick question, and I'm not trying to be an asshole. But, I'm also not gonna blow sunshine up your ass. I'll never lie to you. There will never be a time that you can’t take every word outta my mouth as the Goddess honest truth.”

Hanging on his every word, Izett could only nod, praying he kept talking. Thankfully, he did just that.

“I can feel the battle within you.” Pointing his finger directly at her heart, each jab punctuating his words, he went on, “You know the truth. I can feel it as strongly in you as I feel it within myself.” Shaking his head as he scratched at the stubble adorning his gorgeous jawline, he mused, “Nobody knows better than I do how hard it is when things don’t go as you planned.” Snorting ironically, his chuckle tugged at her emotions. “Especially when we’ve heard all the prophecies, read all the histories, been told all the tales handed down for generations. Let’s face it, our ancestors thought they had it all figured out. I tend to think that they were just good at faking it till they made it.” He paused. The twinkle in his eye grew brighter. “But there’s one thing you’ve always gotta remember, my sweet Izett. You can’t beat Fate. She will not be denied. We are meant to be.”

For the first time Izett could ever remember, the ensuing silence wasn't uncomfortable. She didn't struggle to fill the void. It didn't make her antsy. She wasn't searching for a way to escape. It was nice, and she could tell Ven felt it, too, his voice taking on a softer, although still definitive, tone.

“You’re inside of me.” Placing his hand over his heart, he nodded. “Not just my mind, but in my soul. You’re a very real, very substantial part of my DNA.” Reaching for her, his palms up, his fingers outstretched, he beseeched, “Don’t you see, Izett? This is Fate. This is the stuff great love stories are made of. We were created for one another. Two halves of the same whole. You are my Mate, and I am yours.”

The strength of his conviction, Ven's unwavering belief in every single word he'd spoken, was profound. Surrounding her, overtaking her, it begged her to take a leap of faith, to believe they had a chance.

Closing the distance between them, he spoke not a word. Reaching for her hands, sliding his fingers through hers, he lifted them to his lips, kissing across her knuckles. Heart beating faster, her body warmed.

Unable, but more to the point, unwilling to stand on her own any longer, she stepped closer, laying her head on his chest. With the steady beat of his heart, strong and true, tapping in time with her own, she didn’t even try to hold back her sigh of contentment.

Snuggling closer when his arms came around her, she let her thoughts flow freely. “How do you do that? How do you just know?”

Goosebumps jumped to attention all over her body as his deep rumbling chuckle filled her mind then she damned near swooned when he sincerely responded, “Because I am yours and you are mine. Together, we are so much more than we ever were apart.” Warmth radiated from his touch as he gently rubbed up and down her spine, he added, “Together, we are one.”

“Yeah, I guess…”

Interrupted by the same strange sensation she’d encountered on the mountaintop just a few hours earlier, she pulled back just enough to look Ven in the eye. “Do you feel that?”

“Damn sure do.” Brows furrowing, his pupils elongating, his eyes shining with the presence of his Dragon King. “What the hell is it?”

“Not a clue." Shrugging, her suspicions growing, her Wolf getting to her feet. "The same weirdness was up on the mountain this morning. It was strong enough that I thought it was keeping me from making contact with my family."

“Really?” The corners of his mouth turned downward. “There’s something in this crazy place stronger than you?”

Raising a single eyebrow and tilting her head to the side, she tsked, "You do know where you are, right? This is the Isle of Dagda. This place was created solely by the power of his magic, its continued existence fueled by unpredictable will."

“Oh yeah,” he snickered, the nonchalance he was trying to project not reaching his eyes. “But still, as Fionn Faoll, this is kinda your gig. There’s not much that could get in the way of you doing whatever you wanted to do whenever you wanted to do it, especially here.”

"Okay, you've got a point." And he did. "I should've thought of that. Not have been so quick to dismiss the interference and put off checking it out until tomorrow."

It bothered her that Ven might think she was just lazy, or not following through on something that might be important. It mattered to her what he thought, how he saw, that he respected her.

With a single shake of her head and a barely audible growl, she went on, "Since you've read my mind…" Patting his chest when he tried to interrupt, tried to apologize, she scoffed, "Oh, please, don't worry about it. I would've done the same thing if I'd thought of it first." Snapping back to the business at hand, she explained, "Like I was saying since you've read my mind, you know I'm here to complete the first Task of Dagda of this celestial year."

“Yeah, I got that.”

“Well, I never have any of the details until I get here. Every task is different. Nothing has ever been the same twice except the fact that I’m all on my own.” Giving a little shrug, she added, “Guess that’s why I didn’t really worry about it. Figured that if it was still there tomorrow, I’d investigate then.”

"But now, you're thinkin' it should be looked into sooner rather than later." It was a statement, not a question, and delivered with raised eyebrows and a knowing look.

“Well…”

 “And I’m guessing you think you’re going out in the middle of typhoonicane…”

“Typhoonicane?”

She couldn't hold back her laughter, which got all the more rambunctious as Ven attempted to act affronted as he explained with a straight face, "Yes, typhoonicane. The combination of a typhoon and hurricane. A storm hellbent on blowing us off the planet and drowning us at the same time. A typhoonicane."

“Okay, Ven. Whatever you say.”

“Exactly, thank you, mo chroí. I love that you agree with me.” Not missing a beat, he kept right on going, “Anyway, I’m guessin’ you think that you’re poppin’ outta this cave to figure out what’s going on, and I’m just gonna sit here, keep the home fires burning and wait for you to come back?”

For the first time in her very long existence, Izett didn't merely act on her instincts. Not only hearing but genuinely listening to what Ven was saying and recognizing his needs, she exaggeratingly teased, "No, never."

Throwing back his head and barking with laughter, all traces of his irritation gone, Ven nodded, “Okay, I’ll give ya’ that one, pretty lady.”

“Whew.” Patting his chest and giving him a wink she knew was extra sassy, she motioned with a nod. "Grab your coat and hat, and let's get this over with. Have I mentioned how bad I hate wind and rain?" 

Tapping his temple as he helped her into her jacket, Ven laid a quick kiss on the side of her neck as he snickered, “No, you didn’t, but I read your mind, remember?”

“Oh, yeah, I remember now.” Looking over her shoulder and pretending to be annoyed, Izett playfully threatened, “Wonder how I’m gonna make you pay for that one?”

Waggling his eyebrows as they headed out of the grotto hand-in-hand, Ven gave a sexy growl, "Oh, baby, didn't anybody ever tell you not to tease a Dragon." Lovingly squeezing her hand, he winked. "'Cause I might just take you up on it.”

“Oh, Darlin’.” Relaxing completely, letting the rest of her guard down, Izett teased right back. “I’m countin’ on it.”

Chapter Five

“Isn’t our lass adorable?” Áde cooed. “Tryin’ to leave without us. She really is a keeper.”

Hearing an ancient Dragon King simpering like an old grandma was funny enough, but Izett’s response was priceless. Mimicking not only his thick brogue but lowering her voice with perfect comedic intonation, she playfully demurred, “Isn’t our Dragon, just the cutest thing. He thinks he can talk to me like a lassie bouncin’ on his knee, and I won't kick his scaly ass.”  

“She shoots. She scores,” Ven whooped, loving the lighthearted banter they all already shared. “Better watch your tail, Old Man. My money’s on my girl. She’s got the goods.”

And she did. Not only was the unrelenting spirit of the great Fionn Faoll thriving within his Mate, but Izett was a force unto herself. It was all there, right before his eyes, pulsing in the depths of her soul, filling their Mating Bond to bursting.

Her inner strength was the stuff of legends. Her intelligence was awe-inspiring. Add her unstoppable lineage as a BánTíre Timberwolf Shifter, and Ven was gobsmacked at the blessing he'd been given.

She was his match in every way and then some. Her gods-given and Universe blessed magic matched his own in every way imaginable. Together there was nothing they couldn’t achieve. The best adventures in life were yet to come.

Out of the cave, slashing through sheets of driving rain, hand-in-hand they raced. Across the beach, with each pounding footstep, their feet sunk deeper into the thick, wet sand. But Ven refused to be deterred. He would follow Izett to the ends of the earth if that's what she needed. Nothing and no one could keep him from her side.

Starting out as Fate, their bond had instantly grown into so much.  As her belief in their relationship grew, so did their partnership. Real in every sense of the word, Ven knew there would never come a time when he wouldn’t need her by his side.

Following her lead, seeing the trail in her mind, he lent her all the strength she needed to get them to the top of the mountain. Landing on a ledge little more than a hundred feet from Dé Danaan Peak, a wave of raw energy blindsided them both.

Talons extending from the fingertips of one hand, he shoved his digits into the rocky cliff as he pulled Izett to his side with the other. Hair on the back of his neck standing on end, his shields blown wide open, Ven searched for the source of the eerie hum filling the airwaves.

“Holy shit! That’s the…” Izett’s words were overshadowed as Wynne’s roaring shout burst through both their minds.

“What the fuck?”

“Not a clue.”

“That shit is ooooold,” Manny chimed in, his voice more Dragon than man.

“That’s what I’m thinkin’, too.”

“Yeah, right,” Jackson was quick to throw in his two cents. “You never had a thought that didn’t die of loneliness, Ven, my boy.” Laughing despite the situation, always the one to keep a level head and provide levity, the Elder Dragon added with a bark, "It was Fionn Faoll. No doubt about it. That Mate of yours is sharp as a tack. Better watch out, Young' un she's gonna keep ya' on your toes."

Wits scrambled at his Brethren’s intuition, Ven failed to come up with even the slightest of comebacks. Thankfully, Izett was on the ball.

“Mate, huh? Don’t go jumpin’ the gun, boys.” Her smile bringing sunlight to their surroundings, even through the pouring rain, his Mate wasn't dishing out the embarrassment and dammit all if he didn't love her all the more for it. “Besides, like you said, he's a young' un. I’d hate to be accused of robbin’ the cradle.”

Ignoring the roar of laughter from the other Dragons, loving that Izett felt comfortable enough with not only him but his Brethren to tease him, it didn’t matter that he was soaked to the bone. She was coming around, and that meant all the world to him.

Continuing to converse as he once again followed Izett, Ven pretended to be irritated as he exaggerated a sigh. “I guess I better introduce y’all. Izett, meet the guys. Asshats, this is Izett.”

“And there it is, you love your family just as much as I do mine. We’re gonna get along just fine.”

Floating on a cloud, sure he could whisk them both to the top of the mountain without the use of his wings, Ven grinned from ear-to-ear as she kept right on going, taking the inopportune appearance of his extended family in stride. "Hey, guys! Good to meet y'all."

“Hey, Izett!” the goofballs all answered with a round of whoops and hollers.

Just as always, Jackson to get his shit together, if only just. “Oh, my Heavens, watching her whip you into shape is gonna be worth the price of admission.”

“Oh, hell, yeah! Wouldn’t Have it any other way,” Ven snickered, happier than he could ever remember being.

“Another one’s gone. And another one’s gone. Another one bites the dust,” Manny's off-key rendition of one of Ven’s favorite songs rang out, half a second before Wynne got right back to business.

“I’m happy for you, Ven. We’ll celebrate later.” Clearing his throat, urgency coloring his tone, the Commander went on, “Right now, I need to know what’s happening out there?”

“Yes, sir." Ven’s response was clear and concise, automatic in its delivery. The Force of Clan Saor-làithean was nothing if not efficient. It was a foregone conclusion that they’d have fun no matter the situation. If not, they would've lost their ever-lovin' minds, but when it was time to get the job done, their focus was laser-sharp. “Don’t have a bead on anything but the disturbance yet. Izett encountered it earlier. Found nothing threatening, so decided to wait and watch.”

Finishing his thought, just as only True Fated Mates can do, Izett took up where Ven left off, “I thought it might be blocking my transmissions home. I’ve been here a little over four days with no word from anyone, not even Dagda’s emissary. Something just feels wrong.”

Caught in another wave of power, danger, and darkness hot on its tail, Ven pushed the current towards his Brethren. “Y’all feel that?”

“Oh, we feel it alrecht., mo ghille.” Nessa’s soft, all-knowing voice floated into the conversation. “Every dragon frae haur tae th' Moont of the Ancients can feel it. Yer shields ur open wider than th' Grand Canyon.” Not waiting for a response, he could feel the smile in her voice when she added, “An' allrite thaur, Tzett. Welcome tae th' family. Elder Healer an' Chief Wrangler ay thes here rowdy bunch of hooligans.”

“Thank God for you,” Izett laughed.

Completely in love, mesmerized by his Mate, Ven noted the cute way she crinkled her nose and batted her eyes when she teased him. Mouthing, “I love you,” his heart skipped a beat when her eyes got wide, and a beautiful blush colored her cheeks.

Shaking her head, her smile still shining, Izett was just about to say something when the sharp scent of sulfur filled the air. Cutting through the deluge, it seemed to satiate every beating drop of rain.

“Better close those eyes and secure your shields, I’m gonna turn on my Spark. Time to find out what the hell’s goin’ on.”

“Yeah, could you please,” Manny chuckled, quickly adding, “Get those mental blocks in place. I’ve read about Fionn Faoll’s Lightning Spark, and I’m not lookin’ to have my brains scrambled.”

“Not that we’d know any different,” Jackson crowed then to Ven, he added with a snicker, “Shields would be nice though, Kid. The lovey-dovey crap is givin’ me a toothache.”

Banter and laughter continuing as he and Izett climbed upward, Ven announced, “We’re here,” the second he set his Mate’s feet on the peak.

Everything went instantly silent. The focus and intensity of his Brethren combined with his own. Tapping into Aéd’s connection with his brothers, the Dragon Kings within the souls of the Guardsmen of Clan Saor-làithean, Ven used their second sight to let Wynne, Jackson, and Manny see and feel everything he experienced.

Holding out her hand, light streaming from her palm Ven refused to let go of Izett’s free hand. Cautiously letting her lead the way, his every instinct screamed for him to step in front of his Mate. It was his job to put himself between her and any perceivable threat. No longer able to hold out, he did precisely that when they reached a small burrow hidden behind the biggest, thickest sago palm Ven had ever seen.

Unleashing nearly undetectable tendrils of his preternatural senses into the deep, dark hole, he searched for signs of life. First one step and then another, pushing his magic farther and farther, he joked, “I’m not responsible for what happens if a big nasty snake pops outta here.”

“Oh no, is my big, strong Dragon scared of snakes?”

“No, your big, strong… Hey! Wait!” Izett’s words finally registering, Ven could barely contain his excitement. "You said 'my Dragon.' You called me ‘your Dragon’. You…"

“You need to pay attention!” Izett’s tone was suddenly sharp and demanding. “Pull back. Pull back now. I need to get in there. Somethings not right.” Reaching around him, she shoved the hand wielding her Spark in front of his chest.  

His need to protect his Mate warring with his need to give her everything she wanted, Ven laid his hand on her arm. “What the hell?” He hissed, the acrid scent of malevolence stinging his senses.

Doubling his efforts, he propelled his inherent extra-human abilities deeper. Thrusting the light of Aéd’s power into Izett’s Spark, he ground out through gritted teeth, “Just a little farther.”

“Be careful, Ven.” Growling, his tone deep and gravelly Manny warned, “Whatever that is, doesn’t want you in there.” 

“You need to hurry your ass up,” Jackson snarled.

“And they stink of Hell.” Wynne’s rumbled, the heat of his rage palpable.

“Deamhan na h-ùine,” Izett hissed, instantly followed by Ven and all his Brethren snarling in unison, “Cronos.”

The same in every Pantheon, the god of Time and Space was a destructive, all-devouring force hellbent on controlling everyone and everything in the Past, Present, and Future. Larger in girth and stature than even Dagda, his favorite pastime was to feast on the entrails of gods and men alike.

“The Crystals of Fate!” Squeezing his hand, her nails biting into his flesh, she screamed into his mind, “He’s after the Crystals of Fate.” Running forward, pulling him along as if he weighed nothing, she barked orders not only to Ven, but all his Brethren. “I’m gonna need everything ya’ got. I’ve not been given my instructions for this Task. So, I’m not at full strength.”

“You got it.” Wynne’s retort was sharp and concise.

“Just give the word,” Manny readily agreed, already pushing magic to them as fast as he could.

But it was Jackson’s, “We gotcha covered,” that sealed the deal. Ven never had a doubt that his Brethren would ever let him down, but to hear them say the words to his Mate without any reservation and with complete conviction made the Guardsman proud to call them brothers.

Down a narrowing pathway, she jerked her hand from his. Taking no offense, knowing she was doing everything possible to concentrate, Ven stayed on her heels.

Turning left and then right and then right again, he skidded on his heels, barely stopping before falling ass over tea kettle over a kneeling Izett. Arms flying over her head, his palms slapped the rock wall straight ahead as he swore under his breath, “Son of a bitch.”

“Sorry,” she whispered, no more than an afterthought.

Eyes flying to where Izett’s Spark bore into the very core of the mountain, the words flew from his lips before he could stop them. “What the hell…?”

“Getting the crystals. Shut up and help!”

Doing the only thing he could, Ven opened the floodgates of his magic, advising Aéd, “You heard the lady.” 

From one moment to the next, Izett's hands disappeared into the glowing hole their combined mysticism had just created. Out as fast as they'd gone in, Ven was shocked to see her delicate fingers wrapped around five bumpy, lumpy, gray, and black rocks.

“Those ugly things are the…”

“Not yet, but they will be,” Izett answered quicker than he could think the words.

“Can you have that conversation a little later?” Wynne sharply challenged. “You’re about to have company, and…”

“And he seems seven kinds of pissed off,” Jackson snapped, unrepentantly interrupting the Commander.

No sooner had the words of his Brethren slashed through Ven's mind than the caustic stench of sulfur and brimstone filled the burrow. Reaching for Izett as she ran headlong into danger, he snapped, “Stop!”

“No time, Dragon Man,” she answered without looking back, narrowly escaping his grasp. “This is my Task. I must save the crystals.” Rounding the corner, disappearing from sight for the shortest of seconds, she added telepathically, “You can stay here, or you can help. But don’t you dare try to stop me. This is what I was made to do.”

“And, I was made to stand by your side, mo ghrá,” he answered without hesitation.

Catching up just as Izett flew from the den, he jumped out in front, broadsword in his hands, the scales of his Dragon covering his arms. Zeroing in on the biggest, ugliest monster of a god he’d ever laid eyes on, he was prepared to die defending his Mate.

"You think you can stop me with your tiny little blade, Dragon?" Cronos sneered. Throwing back his head, long snarled tangles of muddy brown hair, so like Medusa's snakes that they made Ven's skin crawl, flew in every direction as the Demon god's mocking laughter shook the very ground under Ven's feet. "You don't stand a chance, little man. I'll take your life and the life of Fionn Faoll, and I'll bathe in your blood. The crystals are mine, and there's nothing you can do about it."

“Ven, don’t!” Izett’s words combined with those of his Brethren and of Nessa, slashing through his mind with more fury than the storm raging around him, but they were all too late. No one threatened his Mate, not even a god.

Stepping forward, an eerie calm washed over the Guardsman. Embracing the magic of his Dragon King, reveling in the power of the transformation, he let Aéd take complete control.

From one heartbeat to the next, Ven transformed into the fearsome Warrior Dragon, only a few Guardsman possessed. Covered from head to toe in Aéd's blazing, Ruby Red scales, he stood no less than nine-and-a-half feet tall, the emblazoned S of Clan Saor-làithean glowing fiery hot on his chest.

Looking like he wore a helmet of the Celts of old, a row of thick, stunted battle horns lined the apex of his skull, ran down the back of his neck, and lined his backbone. His shortened wings, their tips curling into his spine meeting those same spikes, created buzzsaw-like appendages, each long, barbed tip filled with venomous spikes.

Opening his snubbed snout, the mythical vapors of Dragonkin combined with the flash of magic, igniting his Dragonfire. Plumes of flame flew from his throat, shooting toward the Demon god like fiery arrows.

Barking with laughter as Cronos did a clumsy sidestep just barely escaping incineration, he roared, "Bring it on, Asshole. Today's as good day as any to die."

Chapter Six

“The fuck you say!” She couldn’t help but screech, that pain-in-the-ass Dragon, her pain-in-the-ass Dragon, thought he could take on one of the nastiest Demon gods to ever exist. “It is never a good day to die, you big scaly dope. Chivalry is one thing, but you’ve gone bat shit crazy!”

“That’s ‘dragon’ shit crazy if you please, Izett, my dear.”

“Oh, my Goddess, how is it possible? You’re even more sarcastic than he is,” she asked the Dragon King, unable to keep from laughing. “And apparently just as lovable.”

“There it is!” Ven yelled, his blade striking Cronos in the thigh. “Did you hear that, Aéd? She thinks I’m lovable.”

“Are you really snaking my compliment, Laddie?”

“No way, Old Man,” her Dragon grunted, dropping to his knees and rolling to the side, just barely avoiding the sharp edge of the Demon god’s sickle. “I gotta take ‘em where I can get ‘em.”

“More fighting, less bitchin’, boys,” Izett ordered, calling forth Fionn Faoll as she sprinted forward. “When we get outta this, and I kick your collective asses, I’ll kiss ya’ both square on the lips. Deal?”

“Deal!” Her boys cheered in unison.

My boys? Did I seriously just call the overgrown child and the ancient butthead, my boys? If anyone had been looking on, Izett was sure she looked like a complete and total lunatic. Not only was every single cell in her body exponentially getting larger, stronger, just more everything with shards of light shooting from her soul like rays of sunshine, but she was smiling from ear-to-ear and chuckling at her own joke.

And that’s what I call a charmed life…

Welcoming the Shift, basking in the perfect efficacy of what she and Ven were together, how much more Fionn Faoll had become with the addition of her Dragon, Izett unfurled her wings. Spinning left and then right, the lightning bolts flying from the tips of her furry feathers, she cut a path through the driving rain and pelting hail.

Sliding to a stop on Ven’s right, she fell into perfect synchronicity with her Mate. When one was forced to bob or weave, the other threw everything they had at the Demon god.

Fire blazed. Lightning struck. Her Dragon moved with elegant grace, swinging his broadsword, striking Cronos again and again. The sheer mastery of their precision was flawless, but still, the Demon god advanced.

“Guess I can’t convince you to go take cover and let me handle this guy?”

“Guess I can’t convince you to kiss my ass?”

“Oh, Darlin’, I don’t have to be convinced to kiss your beautiful body.”

Ven’s quick retort and laughter in her head sealed the deal. Whatever doubts she might have were gone, gone, gone. No longer able to hold back, Izett told her man exactly how she felt. “I love you, dammit. Don’t know when it happened. Don’t think I care, but I need…”

“Nope. No way. Shut. That. Shit. Down.”

Instantly pissed. Sure she’d made a mistake, Izett spat, “Well, fuck you, too, Asshole. Leave it to me to profess…”

“…your love to somebody who doesn’t want it.” Ven finished the sentiment, the acerbic sarcasm scorching her mind. "I love you, too. Told you that over and over. And, I'll show you exactly how much for the rest of eternity as soon as we put this son of a bitch back in whatever hole he crawled out…watch out!"

Tackling her from the side, rolling them both through the mud, down a hill and into a swollen stream of rushing water, Ven was back on his feet and brandishing his blade as if the last few seconds hadn’t happened. “Does this bastard have a weakness?”

More than little mortified, so pissed at herself she could barely see straight and wondering exactly when she lost her mind, Izett gave one mighty thrust of her wings. Shooting off the ground as if she’d been launched from a cannon, Fionn Faoll poured every ounce of anger and humiliation into her Spark.

Love might be grand, but it's confusing as all hell…

Making a beeline for the Demon god, she plunged her front paws forward, dive-bombing the ten-foot asshole's head. Flapping her wings backward as far as they would go, she pushed them forward with the indomitable force of the Universe.

THWACK! CRACK! BOOM! Pop-pop-pop-pop!

Again and again, she clapped her wings, an evil smile breaking across her muzzle as one after another, the loud, sharp bangs of lightning attacked Cronos. Like a Tommy gun on rapid-fire, bolts of electricity bombarded the Demon god's head.

“Way to go!” Ven cheered. “Go right! Go right! Go right! Aéd’s feelin’ left out!”

Dipping her wing, eyes glancing to the side, her split-second of inattention was all Cronos needed. Even before Ven’s roared, “Moooooove!” registered in her mind, the curved blade of the Demon god's sickle wrapped around her hindquarters.

“Burn this mother fucker to the ground,” she thundered, agony slicing through her thick, white fur, attempting to sever muscle and tendon.

“No! I’ll hit…”

“And I’ll heal! There’s already a fucking sickle in my ass.” She countered, the coppery scent of her blood filling the air, the warmth of her life’s essence turning her drenched fur the most gorgeous color of mauvey-pink. “Do it, dammit!”

Ven's defiant roar shook the airwaves as glorious flames joined his war cry, bringing tears of joy to Izett's eyes. Damn it all to hell, if her Dragon wasn't beautiful in battle and faster than a speeding bullet.

Unfortunately, Cronos was quicker.

Stepping to the side, avoiding every damn flame, the Demon god whipped Izett through the air as if she was no more than a ball on a string. Unable to stop, Fionn Faoll simply let herself go limp and took a long, deep breath.

Smashing headlong into the massive rock formation jutting from the mountaintop, she summoned every spark of static electricity in the atmosphere as she slid to the ground. Flesh and bone mending, poison being forced from her veins, she refused to give up. Ven needed her, and she wouldn’t let him down.

Back in flight, ignoring the searing pain, instead, letting it fuel her fight, Izett pointed her muzzle at the ground. Aiming for Ven's feet, she wrapped her wings tight to her body.

Shooting past Cronos, her only thought of saving her Mate, Izett screamed, “Incoming!”

Barely missing the Demon god’s meaty fists as he thrust them into the air, her heart literally stopped beating as his huge, thick fingers flung open, raining slithering, hissing snakes down upon her Mate. Lifting her snout and swooping upward, she threw her wings open, but not before, Ven bellowed, “No! No! No! Not fucking snakes! I hate fucking snakes.” 

“Not just snakes,” she shouted. “Prehistoric, from the depths of fucking hell, filled with Satan’s sputum asps!”

"Holy fuckination, that's a visual I never want you to share again."

“Yeah, I’ve got a way with words. Now, use my wings for a shield till he runs outta the slimy little bastards.”

“And you never know when to shut up.”

“Dagda?” Was the response she could come up with as the booming voice of the Leader of the Tribe of Gods' booming chuckle filled not only her mind but Ven's.

“Dagda? Like the real Dagda, Leader of the Tuatha Dé…”

“No time for the Name Game,” the Celtic God rumbled. “Now, shut up and listen.”

Shocked into silence, not only by the appearance of Dagda but by his upfront, in-her-face manner, Izett did as she was told. Still battling the Demon god, her attention was split, but nonetheless determined.

“You two cannot lose. Cronos cannot get those crystals. I’ve left everything to Fate until this moment, but no more. Help is incoming.”  The pure scent of Earth itself and highlands heather filled the air as three massive lightning strikes struck the ground right behind the stone tower she’d crashed into just minutes before.

“What the…”

Gasping in unison, she and Ven stopped short. Pure astonishment filled their bond. Never before had Dagda intervened. Never before could she have imagined it happening. All she could do was whisper, “Thank you, Father God,” her eyes glued to the three Warrior Dragons racing to join the battle.

Of course, her Mate had his own unique twist…

“Fuck yeah!” Stepping out from behind her wings, he incinerated a huge nest of hissing, venom-spewing asps before adding, “The band’s all back together. Time to kick this mother fucker’s ass.”

Chapter Seven

“See what happens when you go off on your own?” Manny’s chuckled with Jackson finishing the thought, "We gotta come and save your mangy ass."

“We were holdin’ our own.”

“Yeah,” Izett’s winded snicker said it all, but it was her next statement that filled Ven with pride, “What my man said. We had this asshole on the run.”

“Sure ya’ did,” Jackson scoffed. “Tell the truth, Ven. You were shittin’ your pants the second the snakes came out to play. Remember that time in the Amazon?”

“Not my Dragon,” Izett countered before adding, “Hey! Wait! The Amazon? With snakes? This is a story I need to hear.”

“Oh damn,” Manny playfully scoffed. “Can you feel the love, Jacks? I can feel the love. She loves him, and she still wants to mess with him. Hey, Izett, anymore where you come from? I’m thinkin’ a Wolf girl might be just what I need.”

“You couldn’t handle it, Dragon Boy.”

“Oh, snap, Fionn Faoll’s got your number, brutha,” Jackson laughed. “You can’t get nuthin’ over on our girl.”

And this was why he loved his Brethren. Didn’t matter that they were staring down the God of Time and Space, a ten-foot Demon god who wanted to rip off their heads and drink their blood. His boys always had time to dish the shit.

Except for Wynne. Always the Commander. Never dropping his guard. His mind worked at a hundred miles a minute analyzing every scenario, ensuring they all made it back to the Lair alive no matter what they faced.

Not waiting for his Leader's response because he knew it wasn't coming, Ven fell into a formation his Force had used hundreds of times. No sooner had he grabbed Izett's hand than the diamond scales of Wynne's Dragon appeared to his right.

“Focus!” The Commander’s single-word edict sliced through their minds.

Answering Izett’s unasked question, Ven snorted, “Yep, that’s Wynne. A man of few words.”

“He’d get along with my dad,” she snickered. “My momma used to say she had to pay the old fart to say good morning.”

“Attack!”

Battle cry slashing through the air, Ven gave Izett one final squeeze before blasting them both upward. Shoving the plans into her mind as he reluctantly untangled their fingers, he knew the instant she understood what they had to do. “Give ‘em hell, mo. ghaisgeach brèagha. I love you.”

Echoing his sentiment, her steely tone sent shivers down his spine, “Give ‘em hell, my fierce warrior. Love you more.”

Venom rushing from his core, filling the spikes at the tips of his barbed pinions, he thrust his wings forward. With a single collective thought, the synchronicity of their strategy fell into place.

It was poetry in motion, the soldier within him roared with pride. Not only was his Force, his Brethren doing what they were created to do, but his Mate was in the thick of it, as if she’d always been a part of him. Not only was Izett connected to him on an almost cellular level, but she shared a bond of fealty with the men he was proud to call brothers.

Her lightning met his Dragonfire directly over the Demon god's head, the combination of flame and electricity burning away the pouring rain and sleeting hail. Virulent spikes flew from his wings connecting with the diamond thorns, sapphire barbs, and emerald thorns of his Force perfectly level with the heart of Cronos.

"Today, you die, you fucking Dragons!” The Demon god sneered, continuing his forward assault. Punctuating every word with more asps and more noxious bombs of sulfur and putrid hellfire, he declared, “The. Crystals. Will. Be. Mine.”

With unified precision and infinite fortitude, four streams of fire collided with a massive bolt of lightning in one beautifully fluid motion. Rocking the Isle of Dagda to its very core, the cataclysmic explosion was spectacular in sight, sound, and sensation.

Cronos’ screams of agony ripped through the sky. Had they gotten him? Had they sent him back to the Pits of Hell where he belonged?

Flying backward, his mind holding tight to Izett's, Ven watched in awe as the sky erupted in red, blue, green, and silver. Encasing his Mate and himself in mystical spheres of protection, he dodged the bloody gore and viscera of the asps flying through the air.

Momentarily stunned as he crashed headlong into the side of a rocky crag, his senses returned just in time to hear Cronos sneered, "Die Fionn Faoll! Rot in hell, you fucking Winged White Wolf."

“How did that son of a bitch survive?”

“No fucking idea,” Manny snarled.

“I hate fucking evil gods,” Jackson sneered.

“On your feet!” Wynne demanded.

But it wasn’t the Commanders orders that had Ven jumping to his feet. Izett was in trouble. Every cell in his body was screaming to save her.

“Go, Laddie. Up and at ‘em, Go! Go! Go!" Aéd roared. “Save our lass. She’s tough, but that bastard’s not giving up.”

Dazed and confused, everything around him spinning, he raced towards the blurry image of the Demon god holding his Mate by the throat. Heart stopping in his chest as her eyes met his, it was her whispered, “I’m takin’ this fucker out, Ven. I love you,” that made his blood run cold.

“Noooooooooo!” He screamed, but it was already done.

A noiseless flash. Blinding light and intense pressure. The boom of a shotgun blasted inside his head. A clap of thunder discharged within his heart. But it was the sustained roar, the keening of something elemental taking its final breath that drove the Guardsman to his knees.

 Izett had detonated her Spark of Lightning. She’d sacrificed herself to save the world.

Unable to move, only breathing because Aéd willed it so, Ven couldn’t take his eyes off the smoldering pile of gore that used to be the Demon god as his Warrior Dragon faded away. It was all he had left, his Mate, his beautiful, wonderful, spectacular Fionn Faoll was gone. Created from pure energy by the hand of Dagda, she’d returned to the cosmos. She was…

“Right fuckin’ here, Goofball!”

At the sound of her voice, Ven was up and sprinting. Teetering and wobbling, lurching one way and another, he refused to be stopped, even by the effects of Izett’s sonic explosion.

Opening his arms, he scooped her up, held her tight, and slammed his lips to hers. Pouring every emotion, every feeling, all the good, all the bad, all the everything into that one single kiss, he demanded everything.

In that one horrible moment in time, he’d thought she was gone forever. Unimaginable torment filled every fiber of his being at the thought of losing the other half of his soul, the woman who made his heart beat, his reason for living.

But she was here, in his arms, and it was…

Instantly enraged, the thought of Izett's willingness to sacrifice herself without even consulting him made him absolutely furious. Jerking his lips from hers, Ven glared into her lust-filled eyes and snarled, "What the fuck, Izett? Don't ever do that…"

But his Mate was having none of it. Crushing her lips to his, her triumphant chuckle filled his mind, “Shut up and kiss me, Dragon Man. We can argue later. Goddess knows…we’ve got forever.”

Chapter Eight

If anyone would've told her that she was coming to the Isle of Dagda to meet her Mate, Izett would've magicked up her own straitjacket and called it a day. But here it was, forty-eight hours later and she was standing in the cave where she'd first laid eyes on Ven.

Waiting is killing me…

“Never fear, mo ghrá,” Ven sexy chuckle filled her mind. “The wait is over.”

Stepping out of the alcove at the far corner of their grotto, strutting in like he owned the place, her Dragon stopped in front of the lush greenery right beside the clear stream flowing down the wall. It was unbelievable to her, after everything they'd been through, all the driving rain, howling winds, and pelting hail, that she could think water was beautiful, but damn it all to hell, she did.

“But that could be because you’re standing there,” she shamelessly flirted. "Good Goddess, you clean up nice."

And he did. For nearly an hour, she'd tried to convince Ven and his brothers that getting their 'formal' uniforms wasn't necessary. In the end, she'd lost the battle. Thankfully, Nessa and her amazing abilities had magicked them over, along with a gorgeous gown for her.

Definitely not a girlie-girl and never one to wear a dress unless she was forced, Izett was enthralled with the frock Nessa had fashioned in a matter of minutes. Gossamer fabric, empire waist, and the flowing, silver, silken ribbon that wrapped perfectly around her waist were nothing short of flawless. But it was the embroidered bolts of lightning and ruby red Dragon scales adorning the skirt and glittering in the candlelight that she truly fell in love with.

“Not so bad yourself,” Ven demurred, his rumbling purr making her heart race.

“Why thank you, kind sir.” Playfully batting her eyes, she couldn’t help but tease, "I'm seriously diggin' the whole King Arthur vibe. Can I be your Guinevere?"

“Oh, Darlin’, you’re my Queen.”

Right then and there, Izett knew she would never be the same. Ven had burst into her life like a Dragon in a china shop, irrevocably changed her for the better, and made sense of everything she’d ever experienced. Everything she’d ever felt, done, believed, and dreamt had brought her to this one moment in time, to this man, to this Dragon. She was whole, complete, and blissfully happy beyond all explanation.

Thank the Goddess, it was that moment Wynne cleared his throat and began to speak.

“In the time of war, as Dragonkin fought alongside the bravest Knights of the Realm defending humans for King and Country, our every existence was threatened. Out of the shadows, we were not revered but feared. Our commitment to our cause, our dedication to saving the dying race was overlooked. However, we, the Dragons, refused to dishonor the commitment made by our Ancients." 

“Risking everything, extinction and the loss of their magic, our Elders sought to join souls with the Knights who had so valiantly fought alongside them. Thus, through ancient magic and the unrelenting will of both Dragon and Knight, the Dragon Shifters were born. Out of that union, when our enemies still outnumbered all allies, Clan Saor-làithean was born.”

“Silly in its moniker, deadly in its intent, we rose out of the ashes, one from every gem-scaled Force, to save the world, the magic, and our Mates. Today we honor our commitment, our dedication, and the love only True Fated Mates can share in the heart of the Isle of Dagda.”

“We acknowledge and bless the mating of a true Ruby Red, Ven MacLeish to the woman who brings light to his soul, his other half, the very beat of his heart, Izett BánTíre. Will those seeking to witness this union, please step forward?"

Dressed in their finest, surcoats matching the scales of the Dragons she fought alongside, over black turtlenecks, woolen breeches, knee-high black boots, Manny and Jackson stepped up next to Wynne. Shocked to see them, it hit her that she hadn’t seen any of them come in, not even Ven’s Commander.

 That man is scramblin’ my brain, and, dammit, I love it…

Speaking as one, Ven's Brethren affirmed, “We, Curaid Force of Clan Saor-làithean, wish to witness this sacred union and offer our blessing to the joining of two miraculous souls, two halves of the same whole. May they live long, fight hard, love with every fiber of their being, and produce many young to flourish and carry on our traditions when the souls of our beloved Ven and revered Izett have gone on to the Heavens.” Stepping back, they both met her Mate's eyes, giving him a reverent bow before winking with a cheeky grin.

“Your witness and blessing have been acknowledged and accepted, Manuel Talamh and Jackson Adhair." With a single sharp nod to his men, Wynne once again looked at Ven before his eyes met Izett's. "I, too, offer my blessing and undying support to you, Fionn Faoll and your Mate, my Brethren, Ven MacLeish. Your union is the hope for our kind, both Dragon and Faoll. Live long, love completely, cherish what you've given."

Without so much as a breath, Wynne added, “Ven, please go to your Mate.”

Watching her Mate move faster than even her preternatural vision could track, she smiled so wide that her cheeks actually ached when Ven pushed images of the last time they'd stood on the very same spot and taken a tumble into the pool. Life with her Dragon was already fantastic. He was a dream come true, and Izett couldn’t wait to start their forever.

Holding tight when he took her hands into his, her heart skipped a beat when their eyes met. She’d never known there could be so much love, so much adoration, so much reverence.

Giggling like a schoolgirl when he walked backward, whispering, “I can’t take my eyes off of you, mo ghrá. You take my breath away,” she could only welcome the blush.

“Born of the magma of the core of the universe, willed into existence by Mother Earth, Ruby Red Dragons are notoriously passionate, unrelenting in devotion, and loyal beyond all compare. They formulate the plan, lead the charge, conquer the enemy, and defend homeland and family with their very lives.”

To mate a Ruby Red Dragon means to accept all that they are and honor the power shared between mates. You have been blessed by the Universe, for She makes no mistakes.”

More than ready for everyone to get the hell out of the cave and let her finally give herself to Ven, Izett groaned aloud when Wynne announced, "We are honored with another extraordinary blessing."

Ready to voice her complaint, she instead swallowed the words as the sharp scent of the creation of life itself and the soft succulent perfume of highlands heather filled the air. There he was, taller than any giant, larger than life with a long brown beard that touched the middle of his chest, long, dark curls flowing down his back, and a twinkle in his eye that she’d come to love stood Dagda.

Holding out his huge hands, his smile widening, his deep rumble filled the cave. “My dear Izett, Fionn Faoll, brought to life by the Spark of my veins, no greater honor have I ever had than to stand before you and your one True Fated Mate.”

"No better man could I have chosen for you, my dear. You are the best and brightest of all, Fionn Faoll. You bring a heart and soul to our world that no one ever has. I know with all that I am that with Ven by your side, there is nothing you will not achieve."

“May my Harp, the Four-Angled Music, always guide you. My Club, Lorg Mór, will forever protect you. The Cauldron from which I bring forth life will ever fulfill you. Your devotion be done in Duty and Truth. Mar sin bheannaich mi. Mar sin bidh.” As quickly as he’d appeared, Dagda was gone, leaving behind the scent of heather and the feeling of unconditional love and acceptance.

“Now is the time of the marking.” Wynne’s announcement woke Izett from her haze of adoration, the joy in his voice confirming that he indeed was an old softy on the inside. “May the Universe continue to bless you and yours all the days of your lives.”

From one heartbeat to the next, she was blessedly alone with her Mate. Standing in silence, looking into the eyes of the love of her life, she knew he was her forever home.

Loving that he was as anxious as she was to consummate their love and commitment, Izett shivered as Ven lowered his lips to hers. Hovering just above her, he whispered, “Dhuibhse, bheir mi mo chridhe, gu bràth agus gu bràth,” sealing their bond forever and always.

All-encompassing, devastatingly enraptured, their first kiss as a Mated couple was a gift from the Goddess, the Universe, Fate, and Destiny. Consumed with heat and fire, the flames of their desire, the electricity of their connection grew and grew.

Body and soul laid open to her Mate, every single emotion, every feeling, everything she’d ever imagined or perceived was reciprocated tenfold. Ven was as open to her. She was open to him. Nothing between them. They were one in every sense of the word. No one and nothing could ever tear them apart.

Chapter Nine

Flinching in his arms at the precise moment he felt a sting on the side of his neck, Ven thanked the Heavens. Leaving her lips, wanting, needing to taste of all of her, he trailed kisses across her jaw and down her neck, reaching the tender spot holding their unique mark.

Tracing the blazing S of Clan Saor-làithean with the tip of his tongue, lavishing the lightning bolt radiating from its center, Ven basked in the glow of his Mate. Needing, wanting, afraid he would cease to exist without having more, he caressed and stroked until only the thought of making love to his one True Fated Mate remained.

Lifting his lips from her neck, all thought was zapped from his mind as raw power coursed through his veins. Gasping for air, his vision blurred, and his heart raced. Only the feel of Izett’s hands on his arms and the sound of her sweet southern voice in his mind brought him back to reality.

Shaking his head, sucking air, and blowing it out in quick succession, Ven's eyes met Izett's with the best glare he could muster as she laughed out loud, "Oh, buck up, ya' big baby. That was only my Spark." Kissing the tip of his nose, she giggled, "Well, your part of it, anyway." Another quick kiss, this time on his cheek and she added, "You better toughen up. The longer we're mated, the stronger it gets."

Wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer still, Ven made loud, silly growling sounds as he pretended to ravish her neck. “I’ll show you tough, Mrs. MacLeish.” Nipping at her silken skin, he added with an especially loud rumble, “Just let me get you naked.”

Lifting her into his arms, he ran as fast as his feet would carry him out of the cave. For only the third time in his incredibly long existence, Ven used his ability to teleport, praying the entire way that he didn’t lose his head, his hands, or his Mate.

Landing just outside his home in the farthest corner of the Lair of Clan Saor-làithean, he’d made it all the way to the porch before Izett teased, “Damn, Dragon Man, you got some cool tricks.”

“You ain’t see nothin’ yet, my love.”

Throwing open the door with little more than a thought, he carried her across the threshold as quickly as his feet would carry them. Kicking it closed with the heel of his boot, he let out the breath he’d been holding as soon as the slam echoed through the foyer. They were home – their home.

“I know I should probably give you the grand tour…”

“If you stop now, I swear I’ll kick your ass and then tell Manny and Jackson.”

“Them’s fighting words,” he chuckled, releasing her legs, he shivered with barely contained desire as she slid down his body.

Every touch of their bodies fed the raging fire between them. Ven’s pulse raced, and his cock got even harder.

Steadying Izett as her feet touched the floor, his heart soared as together they let out a long, slow breath. “So in sync,” he winked.

She was his. She bore his mark. He bore hers. No more discussions. No more wondering. Life had never been better.

Running his hands through her hair, he released the pins holding her curls, causing the baby’s breath to fall like snowflakes as her blond curls tumbled down her back. Moaning as he massaged her scalp, Izett pushed her head further into his hands, her satisfied smile making it hard for him to take his time.

Rubbing and kneading down her neck and onto her shoulders, her porcelain skin teased him. “Finally,” he sighed, kissing and tasting, groaning in ecstasy as his hands continued to work their magic on her still tense muscles. “Forever thine. Forever mine.”

Chapter Ten

“Forever thine. For all time. Dragon, Be Mine.”

Finishing the the Goddess Branwen’s Prayer for Lovers, Izett knew she would wait no longer. Ven was taking his sweet time, and she was pretty spontaneous combustion was imminent.

Taking control of their passion, loving that he freely gave himself to her, she snapped her fingers, leaving them both blessedly naked. Smiling against his skin as Ven panted, “You-you’ve g-got some tri-tricks of your own,” she used his own words to tease, “You ain’t see nothin’ yet.”

Looking up, she saw passion and love in the depths of his deep brown eyes and fell more in love with the sly smile turning up the corner of his very kissable lips. It was perfect, and also the moment her Dragon took back his control.

In one swift move, he had her in his arms, kissing her as if their very lives depended upon it. It was amazing. Just another way in proving that they were perfectly matched.

Lost to their passion, Izett relaxed completely when her back touched down on the cotton that smelled only of her Dragon. The weight of her Mate pressing down on her erotically charged body intensified the electrical current bouncing between them.

Reaching a fevered pitch as if a switch had been flipped, their kiss ended just as quickly. Poised above her, hands on either side of her head, the lower half of his body pressed to hers, Ven's gaze bore into her soul. Opening her mouth to speak, Izett stopped instantly as her Dragon slowly shook his head from side to side.

“You are absolutely stunning, mo maité. There has never been nor ever will be a more perfect woman in all the universe than you. I love you with all that I am.”

Holding her breath as he ever so slowly leaned forward, placing a kiss on first one temple and then the other, above one eyebrow and then the other, Izett knew she’d died and gone to heaven. And it didn’t end there.

Continuing to show tender adoration with his lips, her Dragon touched as many places as he could, working his way to her throat. After long moments of tender kisses, of setting her skin ablaze, Ven finally continued.

Showing immense affection to every freckle, every inch, absolutely all of her, Izett was little more than a mass of want and need. Trying not to groan as he lifted his chest from hers, she held perfectly still as Ven’s eyes took in every detail from the top of her head to her waist, leaving a blazing trail of desire she knew only he could extinguish. Her nipples hardened to just shy of the point of pain, the proof of her excitement wetting the inside of her thighs

“I will love you for all time, Izett MacLeish," Ven affectionately whispered before his lips gently met hers. Slowly, tenderly, loving each other as only True Fated Mates can, they kissed and tasted until Izett knew it was his touch she’d craved for all her many years.

Ven was everywhere…in her heart, in her soul, in her thoughts, in the very depths of her being. The sensual overload was indescribable, unimaginable, simply magnificent.

She was insane with need. His hips raised from hers as his fingers slid over her hip, teasing the tender, heated skin of her stomach. Lifting her hips, trying to force his wandering hands where she needed them most, Izett growled as Ven rolled to the side.

 Completely exposed, immediately incensed, she barely got her head lifted from the bed when her Dragon placed one hand flat on the skin just above the wet curls covering her pussy. 

Goosebumps jumped to attention all over her body. Screaming her frustration and ever-growing arousal at the ceiling, his name was all she could get out. “Ven... oh, Ven…Ven…”

“Yes, mo ghrá. I’m here.” Any other time the snicker in his voice would've been funny. As it was, she was out of her mind with desire and thinking about zapping him with her Spark.

But her Mate would never let her down, leave her wanting. Above her once again, eyes full of love, she saw how much he cared, what she truly meant to him. Sliding down her body, the evidence of his excitement left a trail of heat in its wake.

Needing more, needing to force him to go faster, she tried to sit up. But Ven would have none of it. With a simple look, he stopped her actions, and using his enhanced speed, knelt between her legs.

Their eyes met. Their hearts beat in unison. They were one.

Helpless to do anything but gaze into the eyes of the man who was hers and hers alone, Izett gasped at the heat of his hands on her ass as he gently pulled her closer. Her hips jumped at the touch of the tip of his cock on the outer lips of her pussy.

All thought flew from her mind as he slid into her body, his hips bumping her excited clit. Rolling her body, her pussy massaging his cock, trying to pull him farther inside, her only focus was to become one with her Dragon.

Gasping in unison with her Mate, she felt the current of her Spark spring to life. The snow-white fur of her Wolf pushed at the underside of her flesh. Izett was losing her battle with control. She needed Ven, and she needed him now.

And there it was, right in front of her. All she had to do was trust in her Mate. Pupils elongating, the strong, taut muscles of his neck flexed as tightly as they could go. He was holding on by a thin, raveling thread, just like her.

Then it happened. Finally, blessedly, his hips began to move.

Seated within her, a feeling of untold bliss rolled over and around them. The last final joining was complete.

Savoring the feeling of her womb contracting around her mate, Izett’s heart beat out of control to know, to feel that Ven was experiencing the same unadulterated bliss. The emotions freely flowing between them heightened the couple’s excitement.

Looking to where their bodies were joined, Ven spoke with incredible reverence, “Look at us, mo ghrá, look where we are joined. I've never seen anything so complete.”

That single glance was all it took. Izett’s need to move flew into overdrive. The orgasm racing through her would no longer be denied.

Moving with renewed vigor, she watched her Dragon glide in and out of her body, rolling his hips each time their bodies came together.

Unable to do anything but feel, Izett held tight to the all-encompassing love she felt for Ven and reached for his hands. His fingers slid between hers just as she screamed her release, as it echoed in their special grotto.

Returning to earth as Ven slowly moved in and out of her, their hands still clasped, her heart did that silly little pitter-patter thing when he hummed, “Hey there beautiful lady, how ya’ doin’?”

Hardly able to form the words, she let them float from his mind to hers, “Just perfect, my handsome Dragon.”

As he slipped his hands from hers, so did Ven pull entirely out of her still contracting body. Letting herself be scooped into his arms, she snuggled into the big, fluffy comforter when he laid her on her side.

Laying in silence, she knew the goofy grin on her face said it all, Fionn Faoll was utterly, blissfully head over heels in love with her Dragon. Time seemed to stand still. She could've stayed there forever, but Ven's arm moving under her pillow drew her attention. 

Placing a red velvet pouch with a gold drawstring in her hand, he leaned back against the headboard and winked.

“What’s this?”

“Open it and find out.”

“Ven...”

“Izett…” he mimicked, the shit-eating grin she'd loved from the first moment she saw it grew into a full-blown smile that made her tummy do flip-flops.

“Well, hell, I didn’t get you anything.”

“Oh, yes, you did.' Grabbing her hand, he kissed her knuckles. "You gave me you." Making another pass at the backs of her fingers, rekindling the fire she knew she'd always feel for him, her Mate continued, his voice taking on a low, sexy rumble she couldn't resist. "And that's the best damned thing in the whole wide world." Rubbing tiny circles on the inside of her wrist, Ven looked up through his impossibly long eye lashes. "Now, open that, or I'll tickle you until you do."

Carefully pulling the string, Izett gasped when she looked inside. "Oh, my Goddess. How did you… It's too… No way… You… How…"

"It was my mother's, and now it is yours. So, hurry up and get it out of that bag before I bust.”

Slowly turning the velvet pouch upside-down over her open palm, her breath stayed stuck in her lungs as the largest, most perfect, most beautiful emerald cut Ruby ring pendant landed in her hand. Holding perfectly still as Ven took the necklace, undid the clasp and leaned forward to put it on her neck, she breathed, “It’ just gorgeous, Ven. I mean…I have- I have no words.”

“Hot damn!” He punched the air. “My girl’s speechless. I did it! It did it!”

Swatting him in the chest with the back of her hand, Izett teased, “Oh, no, you didn’t.”

“I did,” he snickered, grinning like a little boy with a secret. “And I did this, too.”

 Pulling another velvet pouch from under her pillow, Ven waggled his eyebrows, making a goofy face as he opened this one himself. Hearing the tinkle of tiny bells, she leaned forward, just in time to see a ruby tennis bracelet with a trio of silver bells on each end.

“No way, Ven.” Head frantically shaking, Izett threw her hands up between them. “That’s just too damned much.”

“Nothing is too damned much for my Mate,” Ven disagreed, grabbing her left hand and securing the bracelet before she could continue objecting. “There.” He gave a single sharp nod. “Now, that’s how I like my woman, naked and drippin’ in rubies.”

Throwing back her head and laughing out loud, she was struck with a thought.  Looking at her Dragon, it was Izett’s turn to waggle her eyebrows and give him a grin of her own.

“What are you up, too?” He growled.

“Oh, I just happen to have a little surprise for you, too.”

Eyes sliding from side-to-side, brow furrowing, with a look of utter confusion crossing his face, Ven slowly asked, “You do?”

"Yep!" Up on her knees, for the first time in her life, not caring that she was totally naked in front of another person, Izett pointed to the corner. A flash of light and tiny thud later, a brown leather satchel appeared.

“Do I want to know?” The look of shock combined with pure curiosity on her Mate’s face was nothing short of priceless, but Izett held her composure as she nodded, “You remember the Crystals of Fate?”

“The ones we almost died trying to protect?” Ven’s voice was little more than a growl as he leveled his gaze.

“Yep, that’s the ones.” Unable to hold out any longer, Izett bubbled with excitement, “Well, those are their protective shells. Dagda took the crystals, but I asked if I could have them.”

Leaning closer, she ran the tip of her index finger along her Mate's stubbly jaw. "For you." Kissing his cheek, she pulled back, looked him right in the eyes, adding, " 'Cause past, present, or future, I'm always gonna love your scaly ass."

Squealing with laughter when Ven's arms snaked around her waist, pulled her to his chest, and rolled over on his back, Izett bust out laughing when he tried to make an angry face and playfully warned, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, just never ever blow yourself up again. My heart can't take it."

Kissing him soundly, pouring everything she felt for the only man she would ever love, Izett let her thoughts flow from her mind to his, “I make no promises, my sexy Dragon Man. Sometimes, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.”

Until we meet again…

May all your pasts, presents, and futures be filled with love, lights, and laughter.

XOXO, Izett and Ven

Oh, and Julia, too.

COMING LATER THIS YEAR

More from Clan Saor-làithean

Oh, Dragon, Behave – Manny’s story

Beware of Dragon – Wynne’s story

and

Dragon Bewitched – Jackson’s story

THE ONE THAT STARTED IT ALL

Book #1 in the Dragon Guard Series

HER DRAGON TO SLAY

EBOOK IS ALWAYS FREE on Amazon!

Chapter One

 “Dammit, Grace, pick up the phone,” she growled through gritted teeth at the third voicemail she’d had to listen to in the last five minutes.

“Everything okay, Kyndel?’ Barney, the nice guy in her office, asked.

“Yeah, everything’s fine. Just trying to find Grace.”

“Oh! Anything I can help with?”

Kyndel thought about telling him her troubles, but Barney had been spending an inordinate amount of time in her office lately. At first, she’d thought he was just being nice, but then he joined her hiking group, and just yesterday he showed up with her favorite no whip, nonfat, iced white chocolate mocha from the frou frou coffee shop on the corner. It had been then Kyndel realized she was Barney’s newest crush. It had been a long time between boyfriends and Barney was nice, but…um…no. As flattered as she was, there was no way she was having an office romance.

‘Don’t shit where you eat’ was one of the pieces of sage advice Granny had given her just after graduation. Not that it ever truly made sense to Kyndel, but she got the gist of it…keep your personal life out of the office.

She saw the puppy dog look on Barney’s face and hated to crush his spirit, but Kyndel decided a brisk walk home would be better than leading the poor fellow on, in any way.

“No, but thank you so much.” Then, to make sure he got the hint and skedaddled, she added, “Have a nice a weekend,” before turning her chair and dialing Grace’s office for the third time.

Voicemail again. Time to pack up and get the heck outta dodge before someone found something else for her to do. Bag on shoulder, scowl on face, and more than a little disgusted, Kyndel headed out of the office.

Never loan Grace the car… Never loan Grace the car…was the mantra playing on a loop in Kyndel’s mind. She was madder than a wet hen and getting hotter by the minute. It was no fun to walk home after ten hours of work. No fun to be abandoned and forgotten by the best friend she’d loaned her car to. No fun to make the five-block journey past the park…in the dark.

At twenty-six, she rarely admitted her fear of the dark and held her aunts responsible for the phobia. Had they not made her watch ‘The Brain Eaters’ when she was only six years old, Kyndel was positive everything would’ve been just fine. It wasn’t that she believed aliens would set loose a horde of parasites to eat every human brain on the planet; she had a little more sense than that. It was the feeling of being watched…like someone was hiding in the shadows, just waiting for an opportunity to scare the living daylights out of her. At the mere thought of her ‘phantom stalker’, the hair stood up at the nape of her neck and she walked a bit faster.

A sudden thud, and what sounded like footsteps pounding on the hard ground, had her stopping in her tracks. “What the…?” She gasped, opening her eyes wide, hoping it would help her see through the shadows.

Several tense seconds later—that felt like damn near forever—and Kyndel moved again. This time, her eyes slid side-to-side like the stupid black and white cat clock her granny used to have in the kitchen.

The farther she got from where she’d heard the ‘thump’, the easier it was to convince herself it had just been kids sneaking into the park after hours. Manlove Park was a well-known make out spot for teenagers. There might’ve even been a time after moving to the city when Kyndel herself had been convinced to take a walk on the wild side, but that was a story for another day.

Shoot, now I wouldn’t know the wild side if I tripped and fell in it.

It had been almost a year since she’d dated the muscle-headed jock from the gym. Three long, tortuous dates and all because he had an incredible body. Of course, dating the douche bag had come at a price. She’d spent the entire time listening to him drone on about his body parts…and not the good ones…and only when he wasn’t checking out every other woman in the joint.

It wasn’t that he’d hurt her feelings. Kyndel knew who she was and had never been under the misconception she would be Miss America. She had a few extra pounds and her curves had curves, but she was cute and had a brain, something not everyone could claim. What had pissed her off the most about dating Vinnie was, she’d wasted three whole evenings of her life that she could never get back. The one compliment the jerk had given her had been about her skin; he thought it was beautiful. Her granny always called her complexion peaches and cream and said her freckles added character.

Yeah, ‘cause I need more of that.

Sighing as she thought about how much of her youth she’d wasted hating those tiny brown spots, she fondly remembered the day she’d realized they weren’t going anywhere. It was time to buck up and learn to love them or stop looking in the mirror. From that day forward, she stopped using makeup to cover them and embraced her ‘freckled-self’. She also learned to accept her curves. If ya don’t like em, don’t look at em was her motto. For the most part, she ate right and worked out at least three times a week. But dammit if she didn’t love her Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia and someone would lose a hand if they tried to take it from her.

A loud ‘thud’ echoed between the buildings. Kyndel stumbled to a stop. She looked and listened. The longer she thought about what she’d heard, the easier it was for her to convince herself someone had yelled for help. So, for the second time in about as many minutes, she searched the inky shadows for signs of life. Her anxiety level quadrupled the longer she stood still. She wanted to scream when only the sound of leaves rustling across the sidewalk and the occasional car passing by reached her ears.

Disgusted, she grumbled aloud, “You’ve gone bonkers, Kyn.” The sound of her own voice somehow calmed her rankled nerves and she added, “Get to stepping, girlie.”

The clicking of her heels bounced off the brick wall of the library as she hurried past. Resuming her original mantra, she added Must kill Grace at the end for good measure.

“I swear when I get my hands on…”

Her words were cut short as the unmistakable sound of a man groaning came from the shadows.

A chill skittered down her spine.

Goose bumps covered her arms.

She counted to three, unable to move…simply listening…praying it was only her imagination. One deep breath later, she slid her right foot forward, prepared to make a beeline for home at a high rate of speed.

The groan came again. Closer than before. More desperate…almost pleading.

The need to help the injured grew within her. Turning towards the darkness, Kyndel searched for the source of the noise.

Shaking so much her teeth chattered, she looked for any sign of the man she knew needed her help.

“It’s time to make a decision, Kyndel. Fight or flight. What’s it gonna be? God knows standing like a bump on a log isn’t solving a damn thing.”

Flight won. She turned, almost running, her satchel clutched tightly to her side like a lifeline.

“Keep your head up and eyes front. Home’s only a few blocks away,” she reassured herself, with the promise of snatching her best friend bald for the stupid mess she was in.

Feeling guilty and worried for Grace, her heart at war with her brain, Kyndel thought aloud, “Hope everything’s okay…” 

Grace had always been a little scatter-brained, but she’d never just forgotten Kyndel before. It bothered her that there’d been no answer at Grace’s office or on her cellphone when Kyndel had tried to track her down before leaving the office. She’d even taken a chance and tried her own home because Grace had a key, but only got voicemail there, too. It was a war between anger and worry that accompanied most of her thoughts about her friend lately.

The running joke was that Grace spent most of her time hooking up with eligible bachelors she met at work. The good Lord knew her bestie was gorgeous; five foot nine, long raven hair, blue eyes, and a curvy body without an extra ounce of fat. To top it off, she was a first year lawyer, with a promising career. Grace had it all…brains and beauty, the total package.

Giggling nervously, she gave herself a mental swat to the back of the head. She didn’t want anything bad to happen to Grace, just a bump or bruise, even a hangnail would explain being left. If she really had just forgotten, Kyndel was going to be pissed and more than a little hurt.

The shadows seemed to be closing in. Fear pushed Kyndel until she was almost jogging in her sensible work heels. Looking over her shoulder, the toe of her shoe caught an uneven piece of concrete, and from one heartbeat to the next, she was falling forward. Arms flailing, mouth stretched wide in a wordless scream, the sidewalk racing toward her face, everything around her seemed to happen in slow motion. All she could think was that’s gonna leave a mark.

Bracing for impact, she squeezed her eyes tight and prayed…then nothing happened. Opening one eye, then the other, Kyndel found herself hanging above the sidewalk, looking at a pair of the biggest feet she had ever seen—and they were sexy.

Sexy feet? I really am losing it. Wait! Why the hell am I above the concrete?

Warmth radiated from the perfectly muscled arm wrapped around her midsection. Goose bumps emanated from the extra-large hand holding firmly to her blouse, just a little too close to her breast.

She wiggled to change position, the cushion of her well-rounded ass finding the ridges of an incredibly hard set of abs. She trembled. Her heart raced. Just the thought of the man that could hold her upright made up for all her previous mishaps.

Within just a few seconds, Kyndel’s world turned on its axis. The scenery blurred as she was effortlessly spun around and immediately found herself sitting atop the body of her rescuer, looking at faded denim covering extremely muscular thighs. Laughing aloud, she asked herself,wonder what part I’ll see next?

The same muscled arm that had saved her face from certain demise now kept her upright. She did a one-eighty, draped her legs over his thighs, with her knees barely touching the sidewalk, and got her first look at the top half of her rescuer. All she could do was gape. He was absolutely the most handsome man she’d ever seen, with features that looked like they’d been carved by expert hands.

Even with his eyes closed, he gave off the distinctive air of authority. The dim light highlighted his high cheekbones and aristocratic nose, adding to the power she felt radiating from his every pore. His perfectly formed lips made visions of passionate kisses and hot sweaty nights dance through her brain. It didn’t help that all he had on was a pair of well-worn blue jeans.

She imagined that denim riding low on his tapered hips when he stood, highlighting the incredibly sexy dimples that sat on the front of his hips. She absolutely knew without looking they were there, and that simple bit of knowledge made her temperature rise another degree, despite the cool breeze.

At the touch of her fingertips against the cool skin of his neck, an electric current arced between them. Flashes of light burst before her eyes. She blinked to clear her vision, then felt for his pulse, strong and steady against her digit. Heat rose from his skin, making her worry he might have a fever. Her eyes wandered down his well-toned body. She scoffed, unsuccessfully trying to convince herself she was only checking for further injury.

Who the hell do you think you’re fooling?

She continued her perusal, taking note of his massive shoulders and a chest that could’ve been sculpted from granite. The light smattering of hair that glistened in the shards of light from the streetlamps emphasized his nipples, which were pebbled from the cool breeze. Her mouth watered and her pulse raced.

What the hell is it about this guy? Is he doused in pheromones? Or am I in heat?

Her eyes landed on the best set of abs she’d ever seen. Unable, or maybe it was unwilling, to stop her hand, she traced the defined lines of his eight-pack, mesmerized by the feel of his skin beneath her fingers. The electricity continued to flow between them. The sound of a horn in the distance pulled her from her musing and brought her current situation into the glaring light of reality. The sexy man that had kept her from breaking her face on the concrete was out cold, and she was paying him back by sitting on his lap and copping a feel.

She scrambled to her feet, surprised her rescuer hadn’t moved an inch during her less than graceful attempt to remove her butt from his lap. But there he lay, unmoving, except for the rise and fall of his chest. The longer he remained unconscious, the more panicked she became.

Looking up and down the street and cursing Grace for the hundredth time, Kyndel wished for her car. First Aid class had taught her never to move an injured person unless you knew what was wrong. Not that she could pick him up and carry him, anyway. The dude was HUGE. At least six foot-three or four, and his muscles had muscles. She prayed he hadn’t hit his head on the sidewalk. A concussion could be really bad if not treated.

“You’re worried about a concussion now?” She scolded herself. “You’ve been drooling over the guy while his head is lying on the cold, hard sidewalk. Brilliant, Kyn, just brilliant.” Reaching for her satchel, she grabbed her old sorority sweatshirt from inside, wadded it up, and knelt forward to lift his head. 

Her fingers tangled in his soft, brown hair. The scattered shards of light made it look like melted chocolate flowing over her skin. 

Would it shine in the sun or maybe have highlights? Some lighter brown mixed with red, even a few blond streaks woven throughout?

The silky softness of his tresses turned to something wet and sticky.

Blood!

Kyndel gulped. Panic seized the breath in her lungs as the true severity of the situation smacked her in the face. She fought to keep her calm. Now, there was absolutely no denying he needed medical attention. Reaching into her bag and cursing herself for not thinking of it sooner, she dug around for her cellphone.

Coming up empty-handed, she instantly remembered plugging it into her car charger the night before, not giving it the slightest thought until that moment. Cursing and threatening death to anyone in the immediate vicinity, she sat back on her heels and thought.

 All I know to do is run down the street for help.

Looking at the fallen man, then in the direction of the Mini Mart, she reasoned he’d probably be okay. She’d be gone five minutes…tops. Run in, use the phone, run back. It all seemed very logical, but fear something would happen to him in her absence kept her in place.

This guy was important to her. That alone had all her red flags flying and bells and whistles screaming in her brain. She tried to push her feelings aside and look at the situation with logic, but that was like holding back a freight train with her pinky finger…not gonna happen. Besides, her granny would most definitely haunt her and probably kick her butt if she turned her back on someone who needed help.

“No one’s gonna mess with this behemoth, even if he is unconscious,” she reassured herself. “He probably doesn’t have a wallet to steal anyway.”

Should she dig in his pockets to try to find one? Some kind of ID?

Nah.

She wasn’t keen on trying to explain her hand in his pants if he woke up. Her cheeks warmed at the thought of touching him again.

“What are you doing out at night in just a pair of jeans and bare feet, anyway?” she asked the unconscious man. “Guess it doesn’t matter. You need help, whether you’re dressed properly or not.”

Hooking her satchel over her shoulder, Kyndel stood and took one last look at her ‘patient’. Before she had barely moved an inch, a huge, warm hand latched onto her bare ankle.

“What the hell?” she screamed, trying to pull her leg free while looking down to see what new fresh hell had befallen her.

Available in Ebook, Paperback, and Audio!

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Rockin’ Around the Dragon, Tree!

CHECK OUT THIS SNEAK PEEK!

Prologue

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Elle! Elle Mac… hiccup…Mac…hiccup, hiccup, hiccup. Elle Whatever-the-hell-your-new-last-name-is! Wake up!”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Gage! Gage Dragonass! You there? Hiccup-hiccup-hiccup. Tell Elle to get her ass outta…”

Raising her hand to knock again, she instead fell flat on her face as the door flew open and her best friend snarled, “What the hell, Jodes! What the fuck is wrong with… Holy shitballs! Jodie! Jodie! Are you okay?” A quick pause, an annoying tsk, and an exasperated sigh later, she added, “Are you drunk?”

Rolling over, Jodie raised the empty tequila bottle shakily, giving a drunken snicker, “As a damn skunk, Girlie Girl.”

Footsteps echoed through her liquor-addled brain head a split-second before Gage’s deep, groggy voice asked, “Need me to make the coffee, Hun?”

She knew he was talking to Elle but couldn’t work up the energy to care as she yelled, “Hell no, Dragon Butt. No coffee. No way. That’ll ruin my buzz. Open another bottle. Let’s party.”

Not even bothering to fight the two sets of hands sliding under her arms, lifting her off the floor, Jodie leaned heavily on the huge Guardsman, let her head flip towards her bestie, and chuckled, “Take me to your booze, Barkeep.”

“Nope, no way,” Elle grumped, shaking her head with such gusto that the messy bun atop her head jiggled from side-to-side. The tip of her index finger nearly grazing the end of Jodie’s nose as she schoolmarmishly whipped it through the air while huffing, “You are going to the guest room, Butthead Bigelow.”

“I l-love when you call me that,” she slurred, giving Elle a quickly, sloppy peck on the cheek. “And, I love you soooooo much.” Drinking made her sappy, stupidly mushy, gooey, lovey-dove, too-gross-for-words. Yet another character flaw. Fortunately, one she didn’t give a shit about at the moment.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, heard it all before,” Elle scoffed. “You need to sleep it off.” Rolling her eyes, she quickly continued with a glare while still annoyingly pointing her damned finger right in Jodie’s face, “And, tomorrow you’re gonna tell me what the hell…” Free arm waving in a huge circle, she finished with an angry growl, “…this is all about.”

Digging her heels into the oriental rug covering the hardwood floor, still sliding but nonetheless determined, Jodie yanked her arms from their grasp. Shaking her head so hard she almost fell on her ass, she stumbled backward, grabbed the wall to stay upright, and swatted at Elle and Gage as they tried to recapture her, all the while screaming, “Stop that shit! Stop it right now! Leave me be, ya’ damned assholes!”

Letting go only when she was sure her friends would keep their hands to themselves and she could stumble to the couch without doing another faceplant, Jodie swayed and swerved her way across the room. Flopping onto the cushions, she laid her cheek on the cool leather, waved her hand over her head and warned, “Don’t do it. Resist the temptation. Don’t you dare touch me. I swear I’ll barf all over your shit, if you do.” Sliding her eyes just enough to glare at Elle, she gave a sloppy grin. “Done it before. Will do it again.”

Crossing her arms over her chest and narrowing her eyes, Elle looked at her Mate then back to Jodie then back to her Mate one more time before grumbling, “No doubt about it. Trust me. Jodes is nothing if not stubborn, add to it that she’s drunk as Cooter Brown and we’ll be steam cleaning the whole damned house if we lay a finger on her pickled behind. She’s sure uppin’ her pain-in-the-ass game tonight.”

“Uppin’ it? It can go higher?” Laughing out loud then quickly holding up his hands in surrender, Gage furiously back-peddled, “Just kiddin’ there, Jodes. Tryin’ to lighten the mood here at…ah…” Eyes darting to the clock on the mantel then right back to hers, he added with a forced chuckle, “…three-forty-five in the morning.”

“Makin’ a funny, huh?” Flopping onto her back and throwing her foot on the floor as the room started to spin, she sassed, “That shit must run in the family. A bunch of scaly-assed funny guys, that’s what…hiccup…y’all are.” Grabbing for the bottle that wasn’t there, she followed the motion ending up on her side with her arms awkwardly hanging off the edge. Glaring at the multiple, out of focus images of her friends, it took four times for her to make her dry-as-the-Sahara mouth to work, and when she did it was slurry and sloppy, but brutally honest. “Your dumbass brother…hiccup… tried to kiss me. Guess he was just ‘makin’ a funny’, too, huh?” Raising her rubbery arms in an attempt to make air quotes, she finally gave up with a loud, airy harrumph before hitting herself in the face. “So, I made a funny, too.” Eyes refusing to stay open, she laughed wildly as the darkness descended, “I punched him in the nose and left him to bleed in the barn. That’ll teach that stupid, dumb Dragon to put his lips on me, won’t it?”

Chapter One

“It’s been over a fucking year. Way. Over. A. Fucking. Year.”

“Yeah, and it might be way longer if you don’t do as she asked and leave her alone.”

“But, that’s insane. I mean…nuckin’ futs. I can’t…” Up on his feet, pacing the length of the kitchen, he continued to stammer. “I won’t. It’s too crazy. We’re meant to be together.” Jamming his hands in his pockets and stopping next to his sister-in-law, Tree, the second oldest of the MacAllen brothers and one seriously lovelorn Dragon, begged, “Can’t you just call her? Invite her down here for a little post-holiday/Valentine’s Day/St. Paddy’s Day/any-excuse-you-can-come-up-with getaway?” Knowing he was yet again losing the battle, he added, “Please,” in the saddest voice he’d ever uttered then dropped to one knee. “Please, Elle, for me?” Slapping his hand over his heart, his voice unintentionally cracked as he added, “I just don’t know how much longer I can go on.”

It was the God’s honest truth. No being over dramatic, exaggeration, or pullin’ her leg, he was devastated. Nothing in all his life ever hurt as bad as being separated from the woman the Universe made just for him.

Not only did she fly back to Seattle before he had a chance to apologize for trying to kiss her nearly fifteen damn months ago, but she closed off their Mating bond and threw up security tighter than Fort Knox around her mind. All he had left was her cell phone number and damn it all to hell if she didn’t go and change that, too.

“You know I’ve tried, Tree.” Elle’s tone was filled with sorrow and regret. “It’s killing me to know how much you’re both hurtin’, but Jodie’s one tough nut to crack. Once she makes up her mind, well…” Tears filled her eyes as she added, “…that’s usually it.”

Letting his chin fall to his chest, his mind working overtime to come up with something, anything, he could do to make his wayward Mate talk to him, the Dragon opened his mouth to plead his case just one more time when his oldest brother’s rumbling chuckle cut through the tension. “She’s already married, Dumbass. No use tryin’ the whole down-on-one-knee bullshit. Ain’t gonna work. That little Rain Bird right there is all mine.”

Getting up just enough to scooch the heels of his boots backward and drop into the chair behind him, Tree looked away as Elle jumped to her feet and ran towards Gage. It was just too hard to watch. Too painful. Too heartbreaking. Too damned much of everything. They had what he wanted.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t happy for them. Oh, hell no. The exact opposite. He loved them both with all his heart. They were family. More than that, friends, true, get-up-and-fetch-your-drunk-ass-at-four-am-kinda friends. It was great to see them happy.

Hell, he wanted the same thing for all his brothers. The kind of love, adoration, devotion, and commitment their parents had. That bone deep, two halves of the same whole, other part of your soul kind of love. Problem was, he was so damned jealous, so pissed at himself for letting Jodie get away, he couldn’t see straight.

It was horrible. It ate him up inside. Made him want to chew nails.

What the hell was he gonna do? This wasn’t him. He was the fun MacAllen. The happy MacAllen. The one everybody else came to when they had a problem. The one who could make a joke when the house was on fire and their last calf had run away. He was the life of the freakin’ MacAllen party. At least, he had been.

“Yeah,” he sighed under his breath. “Had been until I fucked it all up…”

All he wanted to do was apologize, make things right. Why wouldn’t Jodie listen to reason? Was he such a bad guy? Was the mere idea of being with him so terrible that she’d run off like a scalded dog?

Okay, sure, he’d messed up. Gone in for a kiss without warning. It could be said that he acted rashly. But the signs were all there.

Love, lust, need, want…the whole damned dictionary of emotions flooded their Mating bond. His brain ceased to function. His mind clicked into autopilot. His Dragon roared. His Wolf howled. All three needed to mark her more than they needed to breathe.

Just one little kiss. The tiniest of joining. Just enough to leave his scent on her. To let anyone and everyone know she was his Mate. His one and only.

It was intoxicating, invigorating, irresistible. That wonderful, creative brain of hers was spinning. There she stood, her hand on his chest, smiling at him, telling him that she could feel their connection, that she’d never felt so alive… and BAM! In more ways than one.

Not only had he not gotten his kiss, but she’d broken his nose and knocked out his two front teeth. She was perfect. Absolutely, undeniably fabulous. What in all that’s holy was he gonna do?

“Yo, Bro,” Gage snickered as he held his Mate close to his side. “Stop thinkin’ so damned hard. I can hear ya’ all the way over here, and quite frankly, I’m gettin’ tired of the same, sad song.”

Shaking his head, trying to think of anything but his wayward Mate, Tree found himself back on his feet and heading for the door. “Y’all have a good night. I’mma check on the herd out in the west pasture,” he hollered over his shoulder.

Reaching for the handle on the backdoor, he stopped just short of jerking it open when Elle’s hand landed on his shoulder. Dropping his chin and letting his eyes slide to the side, he had to work hard to meet her teary gaze. But she was family. He had to do it.

“I’ll give her a call and see what I can do.” Her watery grin helped almost as much as her heartfelt words.

“Thanks,” was all he could manage to get out before making a hasty retreat. Up in the saddle of his favorite horse, Bessie, and galloping across the fields as fast as her hooves could carry them, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Elle and Gage knew more than they were saying.

The not-so-little voices of his Dragon King and Alpha Wolf grumbled and growled.

“Were you not payin’ attention?”

“Didn’t ya’ see how they looked at each other?”

“They know something.”

“They’ve talked to her.”

“You need to get your ass back there and…”

“And y’all need to shut the hell up. If they knew somethin’, they would tell me.” Swallowing hard, he shamefully hissed, “They feel sorry for me. It fuckin’ sucks. I’m sick of it. I’m drownin’ in pity.”

It was all too much. He had to get away. Had to think of something other than Jodie, other than how badly he missed her, other than how much he wanted to…

“Oh, fuck this,” he snarled, his voice echoing off the red clay buttes. Letting go of the reins, he called forth the ancient magic of his Dragon King.

It wasn’t the first time he’d done an on-the-fly transformation and damned sure wouldn’t be the last. Flying by the seat of his pants was the only way Tree MacAllen knew how to live. Nothing better than the adrenalin rush of a leap into the unknown. Thank the Heavens Bessie was used to his antics.

Skidding to a stop, the Mare dropped her head at the very instant Tree launched into the air. Embracing the power, reveling in the supremacy of being one of the Universe’s own blessed Warriors, the air flew from his lungs and his vision blurred as the rich bronze scales of his Dragon burst through his flesh.

Propelled upward, the rush of air from the downward thrust of his mighty wings exhilarating, the ripple of the thin, tough sails music to his ears. The feel of absolute freedom and supreme dominion over all he surveyed nothing was short of intoxicating. He was one with the elements, one with the universe.

His Dragon roared. His Wolf howled. Man, King, and Alpha were transported.

All was right with the world. A flight was exactly what he needed. Clear his mind. See things more clearly. Allow his heart and soul the respite it so desperately needed.

Higher and higher he climbed. Through the clouds, past the rays of the setting sun, with every scoop of his wings his troubles simply faded away. The cooler the air, the farther from the heat, the sand, the doldrum that his life had become since losing Jodie, he felt free. It didn’t matter how huge and imposing he’d become, he felt lighter, unburdened.

Wings wide, head held high, gliding along the airstream, he inhaled deeply. Once, twice, three times, filling his entire being with the essence of life itself.

His massive lungs expanded. His bold chest pushed forward. It felt so good he did it again and again…then it clicked.

Something was missing. Where was the honeyed scent of his mom’s favorite blossom, the Arizona Queen of the Night? Why wasn’t he smelling the musty scent of the Bobcat family he could hear chittering below? What had happened to the sweet, dusty, earthy, lush wonderous aroma that was his home?

Throwing his senses open wide, opening his jowls wide, he gulped the air. Dancing over his taste buds, setting his tongue alight, sensations he’d never before experienced while donning his scales burst to life.

It was hard to comprehend, harder still to describe even to himself. Distinct, yet elusive. Sharp, yet soft. Deep, yet wispy. What the hell was it? What was different? What…?

“Is that…?”

Mesmerized. Unable to complete his thought. Caught in its spell, he sped forward. The tiny, glistening, gossamer crystal pulled him closer. His need to be sure, to know he wasn’t losing his mind became his entire focus.

“Son of a bitch,” he breathed aloud, his deep grumbling rumble blowing the intricately faceted gem, lifting it higher, fueling its flight. “I’m losing my fuckin’ mind.”

“Then I am, too,” his Dragon’s gruff retort reverberated through his mind. “’Cause that’s a snowflake and we’re in the gods-be-damned desert.”

COMING VERY SOON!!!

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LOLA: A ‘Not-Quite’ Witchy Love Story

Chapter One Just for YOU!

 “Did that sign seriously say Assjacket? Are you sure we shouldn’t have turned left instead of right at the Gates of Hell?” Heidi growled, obviously getting more nervous and infinitely more frustrated with every mile we traveled. “I don’t remember Zelda saying anything about Assjacket.” She pounded her hand on the steering wheel “Wasn’t it Asscrack? I swear she said Asscrack.” My favorite Hellhound reached into the passenger seat, shuffled through her papers, and grumbled rather vehemently about pushy alter egos and pain in the ass witches.

“Yes, I’m sure. I may only be a voice in your head, but I took meticulous notes. Zelda was quite clear that she couldn’t remember the real name of the town but that her name for it was Assjacket or Asscrack and that was what the signs she’d leave for us would say.” I sighed. “This is, after all, my one and only chance to get the frick out of your head and into a flesh bag of my own. Do you really think I’d screw this up? Puleeeaasseeee, Mrs. Hunky Hellhound, has all that sex and having them pups addled your brain?”

Yeah, sure, I was being a bitch, it was my go-to setting after all, but Heidi was being overly cautious. I was nervous and time was wasting and my bestie, who usually jumped first and asked questions later, was acting like an old grandma trying to cross the street without a boy scout. “Besides, Zelda told us everything in this little backwater town was bespelled to look like a dump so the humans would drive right through, remember?” I was getting louder by the syllable but unable to stop my frustration now that I had opened the bag. “You’re not human so you can see through it if you’d just open your damned eyes and look.”

“All right, Lola, damn. Take a chill pill. This is huge for both of us. I need to make sure I get home to Hunter and the kids in one piece. Excuse me for being overly cautious. I have responsibilities to the people I love.”

“I’ll excuse you when I can zap your ass with my mighty, mighty magic,” I sighed under my breath.

“I heard that, slut.”

“Meant for you to, harlot.”

I guess I should stop right here and explain. First of all, my name is Lola. No last name; just Lola, like Madonna and Cher – at least in my dreams. I’m the super sexy alter ego of Heidi, the not-quite Hellhound. For thirty-some odd years, I’ve been the voice of fun and irreverence in the head of a self-obsessed, materialistic, arrogant lawyer otherwise known as Heidi Schwartz. My poor dear had her soul sold to the devil by her bitch of a mother, was squished by the number ten bus, ended up in Hell as a flea-ridden, butt-sniffing daughter of Cerberus, but in the end, found her happily ever after with hunky Hellhound Hunter and also became the not-quite Hellhound of legend who has the power to overthrow Lucifer and run Hell. (Let me add that she abdicated her throne to the King of Hell as long as he behaves himself. While I understand her reasons, I would’ve at least played the part for a month or two just for the perks. I mean, come on, Queen of Hell. Can you imagine the fun? Yeah, you see what I mean. I even have a list. Be nice and I might show you.)

I know you’re thinking it sounds like I should be happy living in such a powerful chick, but let me stop you right there. While I have enjoyed living vicariously through my girl, Heidi, it is nothing compared to what I know I can do if given my own body. I have, after all, learned a lot riding bitch with one helluva lawyer and a kick ass not-quite Hellhound, and I think it’s time I try it on my own. Besides, Heidi and Hunter are in love—like seriously, sickeningly, happily-ever-afterly in L-O-V-E. For a fun-loving chick like me, it’s nauseating at the best of times and absolutely intolerable every other second of every day.

For instance, my girl recently gave birth to a litter…I mean set of sextuplets of the cutest little soon to be Hellhound Shifters in all of Hell, which seriously put a crimp in our relationship. Now that she’s a mate and a mother, Heidi is simply no longer any fun. At. All. She is obsessed with diapers and teething, sippy cups and educational toys, hair bows and matching outfits, and just all things cute and cuddly. *shiver*. What’s even worse is that with all her new-found power, the bitch is able to lock me away…shut me up…ignore *gasp* me.

Now, I ask you, is that fair? If she was honest with herself, Heidi would realize that I’m responsible for ninety-nine percent of all the fun she’s ever had. I’m the reason she stripped down to her skivvies at the office Christmas party and made out with the boss, which resulted in her first promotion. The one who made her try her first quad shot, no foam, caramel macchiato and asiago bagels, which she cannot live without, kids or no. It is I who fueled her love of all things Prada, Jimmy Choo, and Hermes. I made her take her first taste of Cristal and put her first dollop of Dean & Deluca Imperial Gold Caviar on a blini. Hell, it was your girl, Lola here, who egged Heidi the frump into slipping her first Louis Vuitton bag onto her arm, which became her favorite bag and led to a collection worthy of Paris Hilton. Dammit all...I. Am. Amazing. So, I ask you, why would she not want to hang with me twenty-four seven?

“Because she has responsibilities - a wonderful husband, beautiful children, and no time for an alter-ego who just wants to party and have sex all the time.” Heidi grumbled. “And remember, we share a brain. I can hear everything you’re saying.”

“Sorry, stick-in-the-mud. I’ll try to keep it down.”

Guess, I better hurry this up. I’ll try whispering. There, can you still hear me? Okay, good. So, now you see what I’m dealing with, which leads me to the reason for a trip out of Hell and into West Virginia. Hunter, Heidi’s hunky Hellhound, has three crazy-ass aunties who just happen to be witches and are the reason for my aversion to all things witchy in nature. Anyway, they saw the discord between Heidi and myself and mentioned Zelda, a super witch, who is next in line to be the Baba Yaga, the leader of all witches everywhere and the Almighty Shifter Wanker, the one person in all the world who can cure any Shifter of anything.

Anyway, they said this Zelda chickie might be able to separate us, thus ending the fighting and feuding. Can you imagine? Me, Lola, out of Heidi? Running amok in the world? Having my own sex? Owning my own Prada and rocking my own Christian Louboutins? I was giddy at the prospect. It was something I had never considered, but when presented with the option, I literally jumped for frikkin’ joy, put on my favorite feather boa, and danced like no one was watching, because…well…they weren’t and can’t, HA!  So, I badgered Heidi until she called this Super Witch/Shifter Wanker and got the deets.

Their conversation took over an hour, in which Heidi the Hoebag hardly asked a tenth of the questions I was screaming in her psyche but, in the end, said enough that Zelda agreed to see us. The Super Witch said something about it being her duty to help all Shifters in need and gave us directions to her office in a town she called Asscrack and then later, Assjacket, WV. I admit to being very wary of witches after dealing with Hunter’s aunties, but this Super Witch/Shifter Wanker sounded almost normal, cursed like a sailor, and mentioned her love of Prada, so I figured we might even be soul sisters and quickly agreed.

She explained that we had called at the perfect time because an empty body in need of a soul had just found its way to her front door. Thankfully, Zelda quickly explained that said body was not a zombie but the byproduct of a spell gone awry. I thought about prying for more details but then decided I truly didn’t want to know. There was an empty body. I needed a body. Seemed like kismet. And…I was gonna get to be magical in the process. What a deal!

It took a week, but I finally got Heidi and Hunter on board. After days and days and days of preparation - you would not believe what it takes to get one hunky Hellhound mate and six puppi…I mean babies, ready to be without their momma for a week. Oy vey! I thought it would never end but eventually, we loaded the Lady Bug Express; Heidi’s cherry-red VW beetle adorned with large black spots all over its body, false eyelash shields on its headlights, a personalized license plate that read LDYBUG and a huge pink carnation adorning the gear shift. I have to admit to feeling sorry for my girl. The Lady Bug Express didn’t fit her kick-ass, black leather wearing Hellhound persona, but it was given to her by Hunter’s Auntie Cassie, the sweetest of the three witch bitches, and therefore, my girl was beholden to drive it on the few occasions she needed a vehicle.

Now, you’re all caught up. Any questions? Okay, good, cause I’m not sure I have the answers anyway. Back to our regularly scheduled argument featuring myself and Heidi the Hoebag.

“But I can still hear you. Trust me, my crazy-bitch-voice-in-my-head, I can always hear, everything, all the time and…”

“That’s enough, Heidi the hole-sniffing Hellhound. Just drive. If we want any shit outta you…”

“Whatever, Lola. Why don’t you tell them about the time…?”

“Why don’t you drive, furball? Turn! Turn! Dammit Turn! You’re gonna miss the turn!” I screamed, pointing at the sign that said Asscrack Next Right.

“I’m turning, slut, I’m turning. How about you keep the volume down? You’re about to give me brain damage.”

“Brain damage, huh? Just wait until I have my own body and shiny new wand. You’ll wish for brain damage, you mangy piece of doggie doo.”

Now you see what I’ve been dealing with for thirty-some years. Is it any wonder I want out? And guess what? Heidi missed the turn.

“Shut. Up. Lola.”

“We can’t get to Asscrack fast enough…”

Read the Whole Story Here!

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Hey Y’all! I’m Julia Mills the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Dragon Guard Series. I without a doubt admit to being a sarcastic, southern woman who would rather spend all day laughing than a minute crying. Living with my two most amazing daughters and a menagerie of animals, keeps me busy but I love telling a good story. Now, that I’ve decided to write the stories running through my brain, life is just a blast!

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Also by Julia Mills

Find Them All on Amazon

*****

The Dragon Guard Series

Her Dragon to Slay, Dragon Guard #1

Her Dragon’s Fire, Dragon Guard #2

Haunted by Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #3

For the Love of Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #4

Saved by Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #5

Only for Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #6

Fighting for Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #7

Her Dragon’s Heart, Dragon Guard #8

Her Dragon’s Soul, Dragon Guard #9

The Fate of Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #10

Her Dragon’s No Angel, Dragon Guard #11

Her Dragon, His Demon, Dragon Guard #12

Resurrecting Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #13

The Scars of Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #14

Her Mad Dragon, Dragon Guard #15

Tears for Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #16

Guarding Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #17

Sassing Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #18

Kiss of Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #19

Claws, Class and a Whole Lotta Sass, Dragon Guard #20

Dragon with the Girl Tattoo, Dragon Guard #21

Dragon Down, Dragon Guard #22

Twinkle, Twinkle, Sassy Little Star, Dragon Guard #23

Dragon Got Your Tongue, Dragon Guard #24

Her Dragon’s Fury, Dragon Guard #25

Dragon in the Mist, Dragon Guard #26

Dragon Got Run Over by A Reindeer, Dragon Guard #27

Tangled in Tinsel, Dragon Guard #28

Cupcake Kisses & Dragon Dreams, Dragon Guard #29

Her Dragon's Treasure, Dragon Guard #30

Aww Snap, Dragon, Dragon Guard #31

Imagine Dragon, Dragon Guard #32

Save a Horse, Ride a Dragon: MacAllen Clan, Dragon Guard #33

Burn Dragon Burn: Dragon Protection Agency, Dragon Guard #34

She Thinks My Dragon’s Sexy: MacAllen Clan, Dragon Guard #35

Dreamin’ of a White Dragon, Dragon Guard #36

Dragon Her Home: Paladin Warriors ~ 1, Dragon Guard #37

Stone Cold Protector: Dragon Protections Agency, Dragon Guard #38

Dragon’s Lore: Paladins Warriors ~ 2, Dragon Guard #39

King Outta Water: Dragon Protection Agency ~3, Dragon Guard #40

Dragon, It’s Cold Outside: Clan of the Primordial Flame ~1, Dragon Guard #41 

Her Love, Her Dragon: The Saga Begins, A Dragon Guard Prequel

*****

Dragon Guard Berserkers

BANNING

ASHER

RAYNOR

*****

Ladies of the Sky

Sadie’s Shadow

*****

Southern Fried Sass Series

Later Gator

Nosey Rosie

Lazy Daisy

Jamie’s Got a Wand

*****

Maidens of Mayhem

That Hound Don’t Hunt

That Pig Gonna Fly

*****

The ‘Not-Quite’ Love Story Series

Vidalia: A ‘Not-Quite Vampire Love Story

Phoebe” A ‘Not-Quite’ Phoenix Love Story

Zoey: A ‘Not-Quite’ Zombie Love Story

Jax: A ‘Not-Quite’ Puma Love Story

Heidi: A ‘Not-Quite’ Hellhound Love Story (Magic & Mayhem Kindle World)

Lola: A ‘Not-Quite’ Witchy Love Story (Magic & Mayhem Kindle World)

Sammie Jo: A ‘Not-Quite’ Shifting Witchy Love Story (Magic & Mayhem Kindle World)

Harmony: A ‘Not-Quite’ Haunted Love Story (Magic & Mayhem Kindle World)

Daphne: A ‘Not-Quite’ VooDoo Gumshoe Love Story

*****

Kings of the Blood

VIKTOR: Heart of Her King ~ Kings of the Blood ~ Book 1

ROMAN: Fury of Her King ~ Kings of the Blood ~ Book2

ACHILLES: Soul of Her King ~ Kings of the Blood ~ Book 3

*****

CAUGHT: A Vampire Blood Courtesan Romance

CONDEMNED: A Vampire Blood Courtesan Romance

*****

MARROK: A Wolf’s Hunger

*****

Out of the Ashes: Guardians of the Zodiac: Pisces ~ Book 1

Scorched Ember: Guardians of the Zodiac: Taurus ~ Book 2

*****

Alaric: A Vampire’s Thirst