Loving Two Dragons (Awakening Cycle Part 4) (BBW Dragon Shifter Paranormal Romance) (7 page)

Chapter fourteen

Logan

Marathe marches in front of Remy as we head into the portal. We step through back home. The people of Gold Clan stop and stare then they follow us as we march. Word spreads quickly so that by the time we reach the throne most, if not all, of the Clan is gathered.

The room is filled to capacity. Archer and Jenn lead us down the aisle of people towards their thrones. Marathe is behind them, followed by Remy, and I walk at his side. There's a low murmur of voices and the excitement in the air tingles on my skin. Archer holds Jennifer's hand as they ascend. Remy positions himself at the bottom of the dais and I stand on the opposite side of Marathe.

"People of Gold Clan!" Archer's voice rings out carrying easily across the hall. "Your King has returned!"

The room explodes with cheering, hats are thrown in the air, people jump up and down. Tears of joy flow freely as they throw off the yoke of oppression. I watch Marathe. The seething burning hate inside her flows out. There's a sinking feeling in my heart as I look at her. There really is no hope for her. She can't change. I have to wonder, will Archer do what has to be done? Always before he's shied away from a final solution but surely now is the time?

Several pops fill the air then champagne is spraying and the celebrations begin in earnest. The people file past most of them reaching out and touching their King and their Queen. Seeing my opportunity I slide out a side door. There's at least one loose end to tie up and I need to handle it before Archer gets involved.

I move quickly towards Archer's chambers.

I can't imagine that he'd set himself up anywhere else. His pride and arrogance would demand he stay in what he considered to be the best. As I turn into the hallway I hear a scream so I run drawing my sword.

The door's locked. I hit it with my shoulder but this is the King's chamber and it's not going to give easily. There's a suit of armor standing just down the hall with a halberd so I grab that weapon and go to work on the door. The screams cut off abruptly and I know I'm too late.

The door splinters a piece at a time under my attack but too slow. A blow, then at last there's a hole above the lock but not big enough for me to reach through. I hear his laughter. Maniacal, evil. My gut locks with anger and I hit the door even harder using anger to fuel my motions. Splinters fly from the door then a big chunk rips away under my assault and I can reach through. My hand fumbles for the lock.

"Too late!" Mateas yells as the lock gives.

The door swings open. Mateas stands on the far side of the room by the door to the balcony. At his feet lies a young serving girl. An innocent whose only crime was being in the room when he got the news he lost. Rage consumes me as my vision turns red narrowing down to just him. He's the entire focus of my world and I'm going to end him. Rid the world of the stain he presents.

He backs towards the door still laughing. I roar and charge still holding the halberd. He ducks as I swing, tripping over the curtains of the door. He lands hard on his ass scooting back like a duck. I bring the halberd back up preparing to behead him. I swing it fully intent on taking him out but he rolls to the side and I miss. My hands shake with rage so I throw the halberd to the side and reach for my sword. My scabbard is empty! I'd dropped the sword in the hall.

"Ha!" Mateas laughs. "I win again."

He rolls backwards and I race towards him with my hands outstretched. I'll choke the life out of him. He lands on the balcony but doesn't stop. He jumps to his feet then leaps off. We're underground but the fall from this window is long. I rush to the edge and see him shimmering as he shifts.

I leap off after him calling on my dragon nature and shifting forms as the wind rushes past. My wings pop out catching at the air and I stop with a jarring shake. He speeds ahead of me through the tunnels and I give chase. If he gets enough of a lead and bends space I won't be able to follow him unless I'm directly on his tail.

He banks and turns. He's agile, fast. I pace him but I'm not closing the distance. Ahead I know there's a large cave space and if he's too far ahead of me when he reaches it he'll be able to bend space and I'll lose him. His tail is just beyond my grasp. I strain my neck reaching for it. The space around us opens up. I strain my neck forward just a few inches more! My jaws close on empty space and he's gone.

Damn it!

I bank around and return. Unfortunately, Mateas is free but he'll be hard pressed to find safe haven now that his mother is exposed. I can only hope Archer will do the necessary thing and end her.

Chapter fifteen

Jennifer

"No," I say. "No. We are not her. I won't change my mind on this."

"Jennifer," Logan argues.

"No!" I put all the finality into that one word I can.

Archer traces a pattern with his finger on the table in front of him. This decision weighs heavily. Logan and I have argued back and forth on this for the past hour while Archer sits, listening. The final decision is his but I can't support killing Marathe. There's no justice in that.

"She's right," Archer says at last. "I cannot be a kin-slayer."

Logan slumps back in his chair admitting defeat without a word.

"I understand," I say. "I feel the same desire. After all she's done, after Elise-" Tears threaten again and it takes me moment to continue. "We cannot become that which we fight."

Logan and Archer both nod.

"Remy will have to find a way to restrain her. There is no redemption for her that I can see but maybe that will change in time. For now, she will be imprisoned. Now, to other matters," he reaches out and rests his hands on Logan's and mine. I smile at both of my men as we rise and head for our bedroom.

***

I wake with a start. Something's off.

Awareness floods in as I try to pinpoint what's setting off mental alarms. Archer and Logan's arms are wrapped around me. Did I hear the door? No...

I sit up. Standing at the end of the bed is a woman who's running her fingers up and down the carvings on the corner post of the bed. She's medium height with shoulder length dark hair that hangs loose around her face. She's beautiful in a very classic sense but as she turns to look at me, the left side of her face is marred by three angry scars.

"Good morning," she says like it's the most natural thing in the world for her to be standing in my bedroom.

I pull the covers up to lessen my exposure. Archer and Logan sleep soundly beside me. Maybe I'm dreaming?

"Who are you?" I ask.

"My name is Athene," she says smiling which twists her scars. "We haven't met formally yet, though we have in another time."

Athene. Yes, I remember her. We have met. She's a seer. Remy consults with her as does Archer. I also recall that I don't trust her. She's manipulative and more than once I feel certain she's been behind events that have led Archer and Logan into danger.

"What do you want?" I say my voice low and edging towards a growl.

"I wanted to wish you a Happy Birthday," she says.
What? Birthday? But I'm not-
"You've made it," she smiles.

"Thank you," I say but I don't feel it. I want this woman out of my bedroom. Out of our lives.

"I know, you don't trust me. I understand. Your path has been hard. It gets easier now."

Archer and Logan stir. Subtly I try to reach over and wake them. Logan sits up rubbing sleep from his eyes then Archer does the same.

"Athene?" Archer asks.

"Good morning to both of you," she says. "I wanted to offer my congratulations in person."

"Congratulations?" Logan asks sleepily.

"You’re going to be fathers," she says looking at my womb.

I wanted to tell them!

"Huh?" Archer says. "Father?"

"Both of you," Athene says. "The pyramid is complete. After all these years, you've broken the cycle. Oh, and of course, I was wishing Jennifer a Happy Birthday."

"Birthday?" Logan asks then he laughs. "Of course! You mean it's over? We've done it?"

"Yes," Athene says her eyes dancing with joy.

"It's true," I add. "Today is my birthday. And I'm pregnant. It's a girl."

"Yes, it is," Athene says and there's something to her tone that I can't put a finger on. The boys don't seem to catch it.

"Thank you," Archer says to Athene.

"I'll leave you to your ... celebrations," Athene says.

She turns, walks towards the door, then disappears. Archer and Logan, now awake, both demand my attention. This is the happiest day of my many, long lives.

Chapter sixteen

Jennifer

*** Eight Months Later ***

"Don't push, not yet," Sarah, my mid-wife says. She looks at one of her attendants. "Get Remy!"

Fear grips my heart. It's going to happen again. Every part of my body urges me to push, to expel the life inside me and I struggle to resist. I close my eyes and breathe short, fast breaths between contractions. Another pain starts, driving out all other thought. As it passes I decide. The life inside of me over mine. There's no other choice.

"No matter what," I gasp to the attendant wiping sweat from my brow. "The baby first. No matter what!"

"My Lady, it won't come to-"

I grab hold of her blouse and pull her down to within an inch of my face. "No matter what!" I growl.

"Yes my Lady," she says blanching.

Remy walks into my vision. He places his dark hands on either side of my forehead and they begin to glow purple. I relax as the magic takes effect. The pain of the contractions is there but it's like it's happening to someone else. Everything becomes easier. I feel her slide out smooth and easily.

The women rush around for a moment then Sarah is laying the small body against my breast. A deep breath, one some part of me fears may again be my last, but I look down at my child and none of that matters. She's here, she's safe and she's perfect. Her pink little face is still wrinkled with specks of birthing on her. Her little eyes are pressed tightly shut against the assault of the cold world.

"You are perfect and your mother loves you so much."

She raises her tightly gripped little fists up in front of her face. My heart stops beating then resumes with a thunderous sound. Her fists. They have tiny little gold scales on them. Her eyes flutter open and they are the eyes of a dragon.

Sarah gasps. "It is her," she says with utter reverence in her voice.

"Interesting," Remy says.

The baby blinks twice then her eyes are the deepest, most beautiful, amber brown color I've ever seen with tiny gold flecks. Her skin returns to healthy pink.

Looking into her eyes, I see something more. I know. I know it's her reborn just as her mother has been so many times. We had planned to name her Lisa, but that’s not her name.

"Elise," I say to her. "Your name is Elise. I've missed you so much."

My daughter is the prophecied girl-child. The true female shifter.

I smile. "Your Daddies are going to be so proud."

I kiss her forehead then adjust her so that she can latch on taking her first milk. I look up at Remy just in time to see him wiping a tear from his eye.

"It's okay Remy. Just make sure they care for her until I return."

He looks surprised. "You're not going anywhere. You're absolutely healthy."

We've done it. I realize I'd doubted it until this moment. We've really done it. Everything is going to be perfect.

Bonus Scene

Remy

It wasn't hard to track her down or capture her. Actually it was too easy. She wanted to be found. The chains crackle around her. I dismiss them with a wave then it is just the two of us.

"I don't understand," I say.

Sarissa rises to her feet rubbing at her wrists. Tears stream down her face and she won't look directly at me.

"Of course you don't," she says softly.

Something in my chest aches. It takes me a moment to realize this is what they would call heartache.

"Explain?"

"How do I explain it to you? You lead me on, you tease me, but you could never deliver could you? You couldn't actually open up that black mass you call a heart and let someone in!"

I frown watching her. As she speaks I hear the passion in her words, I feel them. Her voice cracks at the end.

"I ... cared about you."

"I know."

I shake my head. "Why?"

"She was going to kill you. I changed the spell. It wasn't supposed to be a trap, it should have killed you. I used what you taught me to save you."

I nod contemplating her words. She's speaking the truth, that's easy to tell, but the truth is what she believes it is.

"Well enough," I say at last. "You'll not be welcome back for a while."

"I know."

"But I want you to stay with me. Here," I say moving closer to her.

I reach out my hand and touch her face. A tingle runs up my fingers and my heart starts to beat faster. Interesting.

THE END

Dear Reader,

Thank you. I hope you've enjoyed this story! This has been a near and dear to my heart project that I conceived of years ago. Over the years it's percolated and changed until it came out as the story you see before you. It's a bit of a retelling, a bit re-imagining, and a bit of just pure creation.

My hope and desire is that for a short time you let yourself be whisked away to a world where dragon-shifters are real and where love can stand the test of time that spans over centuries. It's one of my favorite thoughts that a love can be so strong as it doesn't matter how many lifetimes, it doesn't matter how long in any way, that two souls are fated to be together by their Creator and they will always find each other.

I've found my soul-mate in this lifetime and am incredibly blessed to have done so. May you find love and happiness too.

Thank you again for taking this journey with me. If you liked it, please leave a review or drop me an email! I love hearing from my fans in any form.

If you hated it, please tell me what you hated. I appreciate the feedback.

What would you like to see next? Is there a favorite character you want to see more of? Is there another type of shifter or paranormal creature you like? Your feedback is really important as I continue to develop the world around these people.

You might also enjoy my Predator & Prey series where you will find some minor crossover and world development from a different point of view.

Sincerely,

James D Horton