Hot Blooded (26 page)

“Fallon? The Fallon MacLeod?” she asked, looking from Laith to Fallon.

Fallon laughed and bowed his dark head as he clasped his hands behind his back. “I see Laith has told you about us Warriors. Aye, lass, I'm that Fallon. It's nice to meet you.”

Iona was completely taken aback. She was surrounded by immortal Highlanders, something that wasn't supposed to be real. She then looked at the man with the blond hair and black eyes. “And you are?”

Laith cleared his throat and hurried to say, “Iona, this is Hayden. Hayden Campbell.”

If she had been surprised before, the shock caused her heart to miss a beat. She looked at him again and saw the similarities between him and her father—as well as herself.

“It's truly a pleasure,” Hayden said as he walked to her and gently took her hand in his. “We Warriors know our family lines continued after we…” He paused and waved his hand about.

“Were altered,” Fallon supplied.

Hayden gave him a nod before turning his gaze back to Iona. “Quite right. Altered. But we've never searched our families out. I certainly never knew that mine had such a pact with Dreagan. If I had, I'd have gotten to know your father. I would be honored, lass, to stand as your guard.”

Iona was speechless. One of her ancestors was standing in front of her. She wasn't without family anymore. Her eyes began to water. “I didn't think I had any more family.”

Hayden's smile was bright. “You doona only have me, but you also have my wife, Isla, and every Warrior and Druid from MacLeod Castle.”

“He's right,” Fallon said. “Family is important to us.”

“And to the Kings,” Tristan added.

Iona sniffed and looked to Laith. “You knew he was related to me?”

“I did. I just wasna sure how you would react,” he explained.

“I can no' wait to bring you to MacLeod Castle,” Hayden said as he pulled her up to stand beside him. “I want you to meet everyone. You have a huge family, Iona, that also extends to the Dragon Kings since Tristan's twin is a Warrior.”

Iona jerked back and swiveled her eyes to Tristan. “How is that possible?”

“He was once a Warrior,” Sammi said as she rose from the table and walked to stand beside her mate. “He was killed, but came back as a Dragon King. Their newest King in millions of years,” she said proudly.

Fallon smiled as he laughed. “Our family keeps growing. First we got Tristan back, which included Sammi. Then with Jane as Sammi's sister, we have Jane and Banan.”

“The ties between Warriors and Dragon Kings are strengthening,” Tristan said, but his comment was directed at Laith.

“I'm going to punch Con for no' telling me,” Hayden growled.

Iona looked up into Hayden's black eyes and found her throat clogging with emotion. “I refused to speak to my father for two decades because of lies my mother told me. I never knew the man he was until recently, but I have a duty to fulfill. I owe him at least that.” She shifted her gaze to Laith. “You gave me a family again. I can't ever thank you enough.”

She pulled her hand out of Hayden's grasp and flung herself at Laith. He caught her and held her tightly against him. Something strong stirred in his chest. It warmed him, soothed him. And he knew it was all because of Iona.

“I swore I would protect you,” he whispered low enough only she could hear. “If I can no', then Hayden and the rest of the Warriors will. No one will dare try and harm you now.”

Laith was loath to release Iona, but her bright smile soothed him. She was special, and not just because she was guardian for the Campbells, but because she was his.

She didn't know it yet, no one but Laith did. After their conversation earlier, he knew without a doubt he wouldn't be content until she was his. And by her own words, she was closer to that realization than she knew.

He reluctantly released her, but found his own smile growing when she remained by his side, her arm around him. Laith rested his arm on her shoulders and looked up to find Tristan staring at him.

“
When did you know?
” Tristan asked through their mental link.

Laith wanted to ignore him, but if he did, Tristan was likely to ask the question out loud. “
I think I've had a suspicion for a few days, but I knew today.
”

“
Does she?
”

“
Nay. With John dying, I was the one to tell her who we are and what she's guarding. That was last night, and then she discovers she has family who are immortal?
”

Tristan threw him a dark look. “
If she is your mate, Laith, then doona let too much time pass without telling her. Mortals can be taken in a blink.
”

Laith squeezed Iona as he thought of the life gone from her. As if sensing his dark thoughts, Hayden raised a blond brow at him. Laith gave a slight shake of his head, hoping Hayden would let it drop.

“I'd better go get Isla,” Fallon said. “The others are going to want to come as well.”

Hayden firmly shook his head. “No' now. Iona has too much on her plate. Once all this is settled, then she can meet them.”

“You want to be the one to tell my wife that?” Fallon asked in dismay.

Hayden quickly threw up his hands. “You're on your own with Larena, my friend. Just bring me Isla as quick as you can.”

Fallon threw him a black look and disappeared.

“Oh. My. God,” Iona said with a gasp. “He's … he's … gone.”

Hayden threw back his head and laughed. “If that shocked you, how did you react when you saw a dragon for the first time?”

Laith inwardly groaned when Iona looked away. He met Hayden's gaze and said, “She's no' seen us yet.”

“Ah,” Hayden said in understanding, drawing out the word. “I see. After all we Warriors had seen, it took us aback as well.”

“What do you look like when you release your god?” Iona asked.

Hayden rubbed his chin as he considered her. “Lass, are you sure you're ready?”

“If I'm part of this world, I need to not just hear the details but see them as well.”

She had a point, Laith conceded. He shrugged when Hayden looked at him. And then, in the next instant Hayden's skin was a deep red, small red horns protruded atop his head, red claws lengthened from his fingertips, and his black irises disappeared, to be replaced with red from corner to corner.

Laith felt the tremor go through Iona. He looked down at her to see the color drain from her face. For a moment, he thought she might bolt, but she swallowed loudly and held her ground.

“And each Warrior looks like this?” she asked hesitantly.

Hayden glanced down at the red skin of his arms. “The gods inside us favor colors as well as certain powers. My god, Ouraneon, is the god of massacre. His color is red, and my power is control over fire.”

“Control?” Iona repeated in confusion.

Tristan motioned to Hayden to hold up his hand. “He can call it forth, use it as a weapon, extinguish it, or whatever he wants.”

Iona's gaze shifted back to Hayden in time to see a ball of fire form in the palm of his hand. Her mouth fell open in dismay. “That's extraordinary.”

Hayden extinguished the fire and tamped down his god so he returned to normal. “Lass, if you think that's something, wait until you see the Kings in their true forms.”

“Hayden Campbell, you better not be scaring her,” Isla said as she and Fallon appeared next to him.

Hayden bent and kissed his tiny wife. “Never, my love. Iona, I want you to meet Isla, the love of my life.”

Iona and Isla said hello, and Laith watched as Iona took in Isla's hip-length black hair and ice blue eyes. Iona reacted better to Fallon and Isla's sudden appearance than she had when he teleported away.

“Let's go to your land,” Hayden told Iona. “I want to check everything before night falls.”

Laith saw Con standing on the stairs. Iona was too busy talking to Isla to notice him, which was fine by Laith. He pulled Iona aside. “I'll be by later. I've got something I need to do here.”

“Is everything all right?” she asked, concerned.

Laith smiled and lied. “Of course. Do you still want to see what you're guarding?”

“Yes.”

“Then I'll meet you at midnight at the waterfall.”

She touched his face. “You've given me so much today, Laith. Thank you isn't nearly enough.”

“Thank me later. Now get going before Hayden comes for you,” he said and gave her a quick kiss.

She laughed and hurried to the others. As soon as she reached the group, they put their hands on each other and Fallon teleported them away.

After they left, Laith's smile dropped as he turned to Con who had removed his suit jacket and draped it over the banister. Tristan stood just outside the kitchen door alone, having sent Sammi away.

“What is it?” Laith asked Con.

Con's black eyes showed nothing. “When did you sleep with her?”

“When has that been any of your business?” Laith retorted.

“It became my business when she inherited the Campbell land and took the mantle of responsibility that goes along with it. The Kings have never dallied with the Campbells for that reason alone.”

Laith walked to the stairs and slowly climbed them until he stood beside Con. “Mostly because it's been males that inherited the duties. Regardless, it's done.”

“And if she refuses you later?” Con demanded. “Do you really think she'll feel so inclined to protect us?”

Laith made a sound at the back of his throat. “Are you angry because I slept with her because she's a Campbell, or because I want her as my mate?”

Con's silence was answer enough.

“Both then,” Laith said and looked around him. “As I said, it's done. Hayden and Isla will be watching over her.”

“You think she's in danger?”

Laith ground his teeth together to hold back his tide of anger. “John wasna killed for nothing. Iona could be next, because with her death the land is no longer in the hands of the Campbells.”

“No' true,” Con said softly. “Thomas MacBane let it slip that Iona had a will drawn up yesterday. There is a place for next of kin, and I'm fairly certain that will now be Hayden.”

Laith knew where the conversation was going, but he wanted Con to say it. “Which means?”

“Which means the closer she is to a Dragon King, the more she's in peril. If you want to protect her, stay out of her life.”

 

CHAPTER
THIRTY

Iona looked up at Hayden as he smiled down at her, a twinkle of playfulness in his dark eyes. The group suddenly closed in around her. Fallon put his hand on her shoulder at the same time Hayden took her hand.

One moment they were standing in Dreagan Manor, and the next, Iona was outside her cottage. She staggered backward, her mouth open. It was one thing to hear that someone could teleport, and even see it. It was quite another to experience it herself.

She blinked as if waiting for her brain to catch up with her body. Isla nudged Hayden out of the way and wrapped an arm around her.

Iona looked down at Isla and took deep breaths to find her equilibrium once again. “I wasn't expecting that.”

“It was probably for the best,” Isla said as she watched Hayden and Fallon walk around the cottage. “Knowing what is about to happen is sometimes worse.”

“You're probably right. What are they doing?” she asked about the men.

“Doing what a Warrior does best—protect.” Isla dropped her hand when Iona regained her balance and looked around. “They're scouting to see where the best places are to hide and to determine where an enemy might try to attack.”

“Oh.” Iona crossed her arms over her chest and looked from the Warriors to Isla. Iona wondered if Isla knew she was acting like Hayden as well.

Isla threw her a smile over her shoulder, and explained, “Magic can be felt by a Warrior. A Druid can tell when magic has been used, but Hayden and Fallon can feel the difference in magic used by a Druid, a Fae, or a Dragon King.”

“How is it the Warriors and Druids have remained as secret as the Dragon Kings?”

“The Druids haven't,” she said and stopped near a tree where the Range Rover was parked. “There are those claiming to be Druids out there now, though they have no magic. That makes it easier for us to keep ourselves private because the world is focused on the others.”

Iona shrugged, because that made sense. “Would it be rude to ask how old you are?”

Isla's ice blue eyes shifted to her. “I was already five centuries old when I met Hayden in 1603.”

“That's … mind-boggling.”

“And the fact Laith has been alive since the dawn of time isn't?” Isla asked with a grin.

Iona rolled her eyes. “Oh, yes, it is, but I try not to dwell on it. I can't seem to wrap my head around that fact or that he is a dragon.”

“So you've not seen him?” Isla asked with a small frown.

“Everyone keeps asking me that. Should I be concerned?”

Isla contemplated her question for a moment. “I know I wasn't prepared for the sheer size of them. The Kings in dragon form are huge. They're also fierce looking. Just keep that in mind.”

Iona would do that just. Laith was the first man she wanted to continue to be around. He had found the piece of her she locked away long ago. When no other men had even attempted to reach her, he set out to win her. And he had done just that.

It scared her, but she didn't push him away. Another first for her. If she weren't careful, she might find herself falling for Laith. Not falling in love, because she didn't believe in that, but falling for the idea of them as a couple.

That she could easily do. Already she counted down the minutes until she could see him again.

That was dangerous territory to tread upon. If she wanted to be with Laith, then it would be increasingly difficult for her to leave when she got a new assignment—if she wasn't already fired. She hadn't checked her e-mail in a few days.