Haunted By Her Dragon (The Dragon Guard Series) (16 page)

For
the first time since leaving the hospital, he realized Max had been missing in
action. Pulling the cell phone from his back pocket, he dialed the King as he
finished his inspection. Four rings later, he left a short message asking the
Leo to give him a call. Something seemed off. It wasn’t like Max to not be
right in the middle of things. He’d seen Sophia, Max’s sister and
second-in-command, when all the big cats had arrived. She’d briefly spoken with
Royce to confirm the plans and then disappeared with her pride members to shift
and begin their security sweep. He was glad the panthers were on their side.
Their ability to blend in and get information far surpassed that of the
dragons. It was something that pricked his ego just a bit, but as long as they
were allies, he didn’t see the harm in them all sharing talents. He remembered
more than one time that Max had called for backup, needing the muscle and raw
power of the dragons, so he figured in the grand scheme of things, they were
all equal.

He
stopped and spoke to a few more of the young Guardsmen as he made his way back
to the house. He could see why Aidan had agreed to stay with Grace after their
mating instead of all the way back at their lair. The couple had stated they
needed to be closer to Grace’s job with the State Prosecutor’s Office, at least
until ‘The Auctioneer’ and his band of thugs were safely behind bars, but he
also could see how this huge estate fit the couple. With the high stone walls
enclosing the massive expanse of land, it gave the couple the privacy they
needed and kept his long-time friend from feeling the claustrophobia that
sometimes plagued their kin when they stayed in the city too long. He thought
about Sam and imagined she would want to stay at her home after they were
mated, then quickly shut down that train of thought. There was no way he could
move forward with the official mating until all of this shit was put to rest.
He was resigned to the fact that he couldn’t stay away from her, but officially
mating was out of the question.
Hell
, he hadn’t even started preparing
her for the mind blowing revelations he was going to have to drop at her feet.
He could only imagine what would happen when he told her he had the soul of a
dragon living within him, and when needed, he could call him forward. He
stopped dead in his tracks. W
hat the hell was he going to do?
He knew
Rayne and Aidan had dealt with this very issue, and their mates had responded
favorably, but something about Sam told him he was not going to have it as easy
as his brethren had.

Looking
through the patio doors, he watched as Sam and Sydney laughed while playing,
what he assumed was ‘Slap Jack’. If not, they were beating the hell out of a
defenseless tray table. He could not tear his eyes away from his spectacular
mate. She was mesmerizing. Her dark brown eyes danced with joy, and she had the
most adorable dimples when she just let herself go and enjoyed the moment. His
thoughts returned to a few hours prior, when he had held her close and watched
her every emotion as she came completely undone in his arms. What he would not
give to sink into her warm, welcoming body, stare into her deep, dark eyes, and
lose complete control with her. He continued to study her and imagine all the
ways he wanted to explore her magnificent body. His cock made its presence
known, but even his attraction to his mate could not stop the flood of images
that ran through his mind. Samantha Malone was his in this life and the next, and
he could not wait to begin their life together. He had spent so many years
running from fate, telling himself that after the loss of his mother and
sisters to the hunters and wizards all those years ago, that he would never let
another woman close.

His
failure to protect his family had been the driving force behind all he did for
close to a hundred years. If he had only stayed with his family while
undergoing his transformation, he would have been there to protect them, but
his mother had demanded that he go to the lair of the most elite Dragon Guard
and train with the best. 

The
loss of his father in battle had been devastating and something that tore away
at his mother’s soul bit by bit, with almost debilitating loneliness; but she
had carried on for her family, for her children. She had wanted the best for
them all and swore to uphold the promise she and his father made on the day of
his birth. He would be trained by the most Elite Dragon Guard Force, and there
would be no discussion about it. He had traveled for the better part of six
days on foot to reach the lair of the Golden Fire Clan. Alexander
MacLendon
, Rayne’s father, had been the Commander of their
Force and one of his father’s most trusted friends, even though they were from
different clans. Lance had grown up listening to the stories of the battles
fought and foes defeated by these mighty warriors and their brethren.

For
three long months he had trained night and day, learning everything he could from
the best Dragon Guard Commander their kin had ever known, and becoming fast
friends with his son while not having any clue what fate had in store for them.
On the day his mentor deemed him ready to return home, there was a huge feast
in his honor. They partied the night away, not knowing that
his
own
clan was under attack. The next morning Alexander sent him on his
way, but not before decreeing that Royce would accompany him back and assist
with further training of any younger, newly transformed kin. The older
Guardsman was an almost silent traveling companion, only speaking when asked
questions, and then most answers were no more than a few words. He had to
admit, he’d been glad to have him close by when his first long range flight
almost ended with him hitting the side of a mountain as he tried to somersault
in the air. Royce had yelled loud and long through the mind speak of their kin,
reaming him for his foolishness, but he’d still done it again just to prove he
could. After that, they walked for almost an entire day before Royce would
allow him to call forth his dragon and soar again. Lance smiled as he thought
of all the years he’d been a thorn in the old man’s side and how it had all
started.

His
levity was short lived as he remembered what they found as they crested the
ridge just above his clan’s lair. The Golden Dragon Clan had been completely
decimated, the stench of black magic permeating their lungs with every breath.
The feelings of loss and despair threatened to overtake him as he remembered
how he ran from pile to pile of smoldering debris, envisioning the vibrant clan
members that had been reduced to nothing more than ash at his feet by the
treacherous wizards. He slowed as he came upon the broken remains of the
wheelbarrow he had repaired the day before leaving for training. Following a
trail of blood, he found what was left of his mother and younger sisters,
huddled together with hunters’ arrows protruding from their chests. They hadn’t
stood a chance.

He
and Royce had immediately begun burying his fallen clan members, performing the
Rite of Passage to ensure each soul’s passage into the heavens. The longer they
worked to honor the dead, the more clear what had happened became. The only
remains present were those of women, children, and elderly members of the clan;
no Dragon Guardsmen. The atrocity had obviously been planned to deliver the
most possible devastation to the clan and to all dragon kin. Lance called out
through the mind speak unique to his clan, alerting the warriors of his findings.
Only two of his clan answered. They detailed the bloody battle they had been in
and the loss of the other Guardsmen of their Force. After much discussion, it
was determined that those that killed the women and children were part of the
same wizard coven that had also killed their Guardsmen.

Lost
in the memories of how he and Royce, along with the two surviving Guardsmen of
his clan and the Force of the Golden Fire Clan, had tracked down the hunters
and wizards, exacting a justice befitting the crimes they had committed against
his people, he missed Sam walking towards the window. Not until she tapped on
the window was he thrust back into the present and face to face with his
future. He could see the concern in her eyes and could only imagine what expression
he wore after reliving the most devastating loss of his very long life. Trying
to reassure his mate and throw off the haunting memories, he plastered on his
infamous shit-eating grin and even threw in a wink for good measure. He knew he
had succeeded when she smiled back at him.

Sliding
the door open, he almost hit the ground as Sydney catapulted across the room
and latched onto his leg. They all erupted into laughter as he pulled the child
up his body and into his arms while making his way to the couch. He collapsed
in a heap with the child in his lap and Sam at his side. “You ladies really
think you are funny, don’t
ya
?”

“We…are,”
Sydney laughed.

“We’ll
just see about that,” he said as he tickled her sides, careful to avoid where
he sensed her weakness until she was begging him to stop.

“Not
fair,” she said when she finally regained her breath.

“Hey
kiddo, you sneak attacked first. I was just defending myself.” He winked at
Sam, adoring the fact that she was relaxed and having fun. Leaning his head
forward, he whispered into Sydney’s ear and smiled as she covered her mouth
with both her little hands, trying to keep her giggles contained.

He
counted to three in her ear and half tossed, half sat the little one on the
other side of Sam, while he moved closer to her hip. They both attacked at
once, tickling Sam’s sides until she was squirming with tears running down her
cheeks. Somehow amidst their fun, Sam wiggled free, and before he could catch
her, she was across the room with arms thrown out in front, trying to protect
herself from more tickles. He knew he could get past her defenses if he really
wanted to, but decided he would let her think she had the upper hand, at least
for the moment. Besides, watching her ample breasts move up and down as she struggled
to regain her breath was a hell of a show. Once again, his imagination ran away
with him and as he felt his cock growing hard, he had to remind himself that a
child was in the room.

In
an effort to distract his wayward thoughts, he decided to mess with Sam
instead. “You really think you are safe over there, Doc?” he teased.

“A
whole lot safer than between you two,” she chuckled.

“But
Dr. Sam, we were just playing around,” Sydney said, and he almost laughed out
loud as she winked at him, so sure she was suckering the doctor.

He
looked up just in time to catch the look of adoration for the child on Sam’s
face, and felt the warmth around his heart that would never go away as long as
he had her. There was no other like his mate. Thank the Heavens that his
brethren couldn’t see his sappy display of emotions or hear his thoughts. There
was no denying the growing feelings he had for Sam and his need to be near her
as much as possible, but if he could avoid the inevitable shit storm a few
times, he wouldn’t miss it. The mating call was working overtime to make sure
he did everything he’d sworn he would never do, especially with Andrew and ‘The
Auctioneer’ still out there and threatening what was most important to him. He
would protect these two special ladies and any other, like he had been unable
to do for his mother and sisters.

In
an effort to keep the dark thoughts at bay, he decided to play along with
Sydney, “Don’t
ya
think Dr. Sam cheated by sneaking
away, Sydney?”

Blonde
curls bounced all over as she nodded her agreement, “I do. Maybe we should go
get her.” She nearly shook with excitement, waiting to see if he agreed.

“No.
No. No,” Sam said from across the room, trying her best to sound tough, but her
barely contained giggles gave her away.

“Aw,
come on, Dr. Sam,” Sydney begged.

“I
think you’ve had quite enough excitement for today, Miss Sydney. How about we
go up to that pretty room Miss Grace got ready for you and get you tucked in
for the night?”

“Do
I have to?” the little girl whined, and Lance was shocked she was looking at
him for confirmation.

Never
one to get between two women, no matter how small one might be, he smiled and
looked into the sweet child’s pleading blue eyes, “Whatever Dr. Sam says goes.
She’s the boss and knows what will make you all better.” Sydney’s bottom lip
curled, and she batted her long dark lashes at him in what he recognized was a
last ditch effort to get her way.

Finding
it hard to resist, but knowing Sam would kick his ass, he decided on a
compromise. “How about a piggy-back ride upstairs instead? How does that sound,
Dr. Sam?”

They
both looked to Sam. She nodded her agreement, and Sydney’s pout disappeared,
turning immediately into a smile. She crawled across the couch towards him with
a twinkle in her eyes and a mischief that he well knew. “Can you two both read
me a bedtime story?” She climbed into his lap and hugged his neck.

“Sure,”
they answered in unison.

As
he stood and swung Sydney onto his shoulders, his eyes caught Sam’s, and the
connection between them sizzled. Her eyes widened and she gasped, letting him
know she felt it too. He quickly turned towards the stairs, knowing that the
sooner he got the little sweetie to bed, the quicker he got to be alone with
Sam, and there was nothing keeping him from being alone with his mate.
Nothing at all.