Only For Her Dragon (Dragon Guard Series Book 6)(3)

Charlie chuckled along, not sure if she was more embarrassed or more jealous that her friend had someone so special in her life. Thoughts of Aaron threatened to invade her thoughts for about the hundredth time. Shoving them away, she worked hard to focus. Sam cleared her throat but couldn’t quite control the blush in her cheeks. Charlie decided to let the moment pass without giving her friend a hard time, something that rarely happened.

Sam spoke, “The twins, Aaron and Aidan, and their crazy ass brother are the last of the silver clan. Devon is the last of the white dragon clan. Rayne’s dragon is red and I think he’s the last too, or one of the last. Well hell, only Royce has any family left that I’m aware of, but we always get surprises. You met Rian and Rory at his wedding right? They’re his brothers.”

“Yeah, I did. They all look so much alike except for the hair. There’s no way I could miss that they are related. I have to ask though…is Kyra something ‘special’?” Charlie made air quotes to make sure Sam understood. “I just get the feeling she’s more than she seems.”

Nodding as she finished her soda, Sam answered while she stood and made her way to the fridge for a refill. “You’re catching on fast,” she answered over her shoulder. “Kyra’s a white witch. One of the best from what I’ve seen and what little I know. She saved Anya from some nasty spell Andrew had the poor girl under.”

“Was that why we could never figure out what was wrong with Anya?” Charlie butted in. “Well damn! Now it all makes sense. I kept wondering how the hell y’all got her to wake up after less than two days at home when we had worked for weeks. I guess we never would’ve been able to help her, huh?”

Sam shook her head as she made her way back to her seat. “No way. And we have nothing to feel bad about. There’s so much crap out there that us ‘normal’ people have no clue about. Just wait, some of it will completely blow your mind… even more than it is now.”

“Oh! And before I forget, there are five other Guardsmen that are part of Rory’s Force and a bunch of others in his clan across the pond. The Blue Dragons have been the most successful at keeping their kin alive, from what I’ve been told.”

“What about the green dragon, Anya, I saw the night of their wedding or mating or whatever?”

“Like I said, she’s the first female dragon in hundreds of years and the first green dragon in almost as long. She’s like a miracle on top of a miracle and no one knew she existed until she transformed. Devon screamed through mindspeak that she was dying and we all came running. That’s when you saw us.”

“Mindspeak?” Charlie asked, almost afraid of what else she would find out.

“Yeah. I should’ve told you about that when I was explaining mating, but I kinda got off track.” Sam paused, winked…again… and dived right back in. “There are certain perks to being the mate of a dragon shifter. First of all, we can talk mind to mind with our other half. Later, as the bond strengthens, we can do it with all his brethren too.”

“Secondly, we get to live as long as they do and that can be a thousand years, maybe longer. We age really slowly. We get some of their strength and ability to hear. And our sense of smell becomes more acute. Overall, it’s a pretty sweet deal. The bummer of it all is keeping everything a secret from those you’re the closest too. But you changed all that!”

Sam seemed genuinely happy that she could finally really talk to Charlie about her life. The truth was Charlie was glad there were no more secrets between them. She just wondered how she was going to keep it all straight without going crazy.

The rest of the night went pretty much the same way until they were both yawning. They made it as far as the living room before Charlie remembered to ask one thing that had been driving her crazy. “What was up with the flowers? I mean I like them and everything, but they’re really not your style.”

Sam looked at her like she was crazy, and after all they had discussed that was seriously saying something. “What flowers?”

“The daisies and the rose bush…out back. That you had Lance plant for me…?”

Shaking her head with eyebrows raised, Sam answered, “I didn’t have Lance plant any flowers.” She scoffed, “He’s really not the green-thumb type”

“Well, if you didn’t do it, then who?”

“I have no idea. Guess you have a secret admirer.” Sam wiggled her eyebrows before collapsing on the couch. “I call dibs on the sofa.”

“Yeah, that’s cool,” Charlie absentmindedly answered, trying to think of who might have left the flowers.

Maybe they weren’t even for me. Maybe they were for Sam. But who would’ve dared leave them for her. Anyone that knows her, knows Lance, and knows he will kill them just for looking at his wife. Dammit, this is gonna drive me crazy.

Snuggling into the oversized recliner while Sam curled up on the couch, she let all thoughts of flowers and annoying dragons slip away. For the first time since ‘the incident’, Charlie slipped into slumber with a smile on her face. Her last thought was of haunting blue eyes and the kiss that changed her life.





CHAPTER TWO

He knew Sam was aware of his presence, or at least thought she was. She‘d been mated to Lance long enough that her senses were almost as sharp as those of a full-blooded dragon shifter. He would never be able to thank her for not telling Charlie that he sat outside her window like a lovesick teenager.

Aaron used his enhanced hearing to listen to their conversation, but more than that, he focused on his mate, the one destined for him by the Universe. He could hear her heart beat faster when Samantha mentioned his name and knew every time she’d thought of him. Their kiss just a few weeks ago had triggered the mating call and it was taking no prisoners. He’d thought of nothing but Charlie every waking minute of every day.

Since the night she’d fled from him–from them all–he had been keeping watch over her. Not only was he worried the traitor would find her, that Andrew might be able to sense that she was a mate...his mate. He was worried that any wizards who hadn’t died in the blast might find her, or that hunters might be in the area. Basically, he couldn’t stay away and was using any excuse he could come up with to be near her. Charlie was his, whether either of them wanted it to be true or not.

He shook his head. Who the hell am I kidding? I want her more than I want my next breath. Heavens knows my dragon is going to turn me inside out if I don’t get this shit handled.

“You got that right, and I might just kick your ass if you don’t learn to keep your thoughts to yourself,” Aidan chuckled through their unique mental link.

“Sorry, Bro. I thought I was shielded.”

“I’m sure you are from everyone else or Lance and Royce would be giving you shit. You’re just broadcasting loud and clear to me.”

After a pause where Aaron heard Aidan talking to Grace, his twin’s mate, his brother continued, “Anything I can do to help?”

“Thanks, but no. You’ve got enough on your hands. How are Grace and the babies doing?” He smiled, thinking about how soon he would be an uncle. Aaron had never been a kid kinda guy, but Sydney, Lance’s adopted daughter, had changed that for all of them.

“Siobhan says they’re great and Sam did a sonogram yesterday. She said they’re big and healthy. We still don’t know if they’re girls or boys, just that they’re identical. Heavens help me if they’re girls. I may have to kill every male within a thousand miles.”

Aaron laughed under his breath as he imagined teenage daughters making his twin crazy. He immediately frowned, readily agreeing, “I’ve got your back. I remember what we were like as teenagers. There’s no way in hell a hormone ridden teenage boy is getting anywhere near my nieces.”

The sound of female laughter drifted through their link before Grace spoke, “You two are a mess. Whether our children are boys or girls, they will have their father’s good looks and strength along with my brains. We’ll have nothing at all to worry about.”

“I agree about your brains, but I’m damn sure hoping they have your looks, not his.” Aaron laughed aloud, but Aidan’s words stopped him short.

“We look just alike, asshole.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever you say. You know I’m the good looking one.”

“You two are incorrigible.” Grace snickered. “Take care of yourself, Aaron, and man up. Just tell the girl how you feel. The rest is written in the stars.”

He knew she was right but couldn’t help smiling at her words. “Whatever you say, Counselor.”

“Speaking of work, I’m due in court in the morning and I have briefs to read. Take care.”

“You too, Grace…and thanks.”

“I gotta run too, Bro. Grace is right, stop the lovesick shit and get the girl.”

“I will.”

“Later,” Aidan said.

“Later.”

Aaron felt Aidan break their connection and concentrated on restoring the block between he and his brother. It was a true testament to how much the mating call was messing with him that he’d let his thoughts bleed through. Nothing like that had happened since they were young and still learning. Aaron was going to have to keep his shields locked and loaded. Aidan was right about the hell he would catch from the other Guardsmen of his Force if they caught a stray thought about Charlie. Of course, then he would have to kill them.