Resurrecting Her Dragon (Dragon Guard Series Book 13) (8 page)

A flood of confusion and frustration was the only answer Rory received. He could feel her struggling against the sedatives and pushed pure, white, dragon magic through their bond. His dragon chuffed, pushing hard against the containment of the Guardsman’s mind.

Niall hadn’t been kidding when he said his beast was stronger since Kayne’s healing. Thankfully, Rory had been on the receiving end of that jolt of power too or he had no doubts the dragon would’ve already pushed free and taken to the skies to save their mate.

Listening to the gentle beat of his phoenix’s heart as he washed the last remnants of herbs, clinic smell, and hellhound poison from his body, Rory realized his heart had slowed to match the rhythm of hers. He couldn’t help but smile. Their bodies were already coming into sync. It pleased him more than he could’ve ever imagined.

Stepping out of the shower and toweling off, he looked in the mirror, not surprised the see a goofy smile underneath five days of stubble. It was the same sappy grin he’d seen on each of his brothers’ faces after meeting their mates. Shaking his head, he laughed out loud as he grabbed his shaving cream and razor. “I’m never gonna live this shit down.”

“No, you’re not.” Royce chuckled.

“Holy sh... You sacred the crap outta me.”

“Off your game, little brother? Or was your mind somewhere else?” Roy leaned against the doorframe, grinning like the cat that ate the canary.

Deciding it was easier to just fess up, Rory laughed as he spread shaving cream on his face. “Yeah, I was a little distracted.”

“Mates’ll do that to ya’. Kell...” Roy’s words were cut off by the sounds of breaking glass and a booming ‘son of a bitch’, closely followed by a familiar feminine giggle that sounded like a schoolgirl, and “Glad it was you and not me,” coming from the kitchen.

Shaking his head and trying so hard to hold in his chuckle that his shoulder bounced up and down, Royce finally finished his sentence. “As I was about to say, Kell and Kyra are in the kitchen making you something to eat. I was supposed to keep you busy until they were ready.”

Before Rory could answer, Kell yelled, “Sorry about the plates, Ror.”

And Kyra added, “It was Kellan, not me,” just before barking out a laugh.

“No worries,” Rory called back before finishing his shave.

He could tell Royce had something he wanted to say, something that was obviously weighing on him. Even if they hadn’t been brothers and linked so tightly, they almost always knew what the other was thinking. His older brother’s pacing around the room behind him was a dead giveaway.

Needing to have clothes on before a serious discussion, Rory made his way to the closet. Without looking, he grabbed his favorite pair of tattered jeans and old blue T-shirt. It took less than two minutes for him to throw them on before returning to his bedroom to find Roy staring out the window.

Walking across the room, Rory stepped up to the window and mimicked his big brother’s actions. He could hear the grandfather clock in the hall tick away one minute then another and another before Royce finally spoke.

“I thought we’d lost you.”

His older brother shifted from one foot to the other and uncrossed his arms. “For the first time in a long time, I couldn’t feel you.” He paused and took a deep breath. “It wasn’t like when Rian cut our connection so he could hide out in the woods. This was different. There was just nothing...not an echo...not a shadow...just dead air...” Royce cleared his throat, widened his stance a bit more, and let his head fall forward before he finally added, “...like when dad was gone.”

And there it was. The real reason Roy was freaked out. Rory could relate but knew Ronin’s choice to leave the clan and die alone had been the hardest for Royce. The middle O’Reilly son had always been the closest to their father. The most like him in so many ways and the most devastated when he joined their mother and sister in the Heavens.

Laying his hand on Royce’s shoulder, Rory let the love and comradery he felt for his brother flow between them. Starting with a heartfelt response but ending with his trademark joke, Rory said, “I know bro, I know. But I’m still here and kicking. You can’t get rid of me that easy.”

“If anyone ever asks, I’ll never admit to saying this, but thank the Heavens you’re still around, little brother. Life would be seriously boring without you.” Royce looked up and Rory could see the honesty in his middle brother’s words but couldn’t resist the urge to give him a hard time.

Turning and diving for the bed where his belongings were still in the plastic bag from the clinic, Rory teased, “Oh hell, no! Let me grab my phone. Can you say that again? I’m recording that shit and playing it the next time everyone’s watching football.”

The brothers howled with laughter as the sounds of more visitors arriving drifted from below. “Sounds like the gang’s all here,” Roy called over his shoulder as he headed for the door.

“Speaking of the gang, where’s Liam and Hannah and Drago and Alicia?” Rory asked as he followed his brother out of the room.

“Liam and all the McKennons are at my house across the pond, Drago and Alicia, too. They all went home with Lance and Sam. After rescuing the Assassin, a trip to Hell, and bringing Kayne back, besides missing the hell outta Melanie, Sarah Beth and the girls needed a vacation. So when Kyndel invited them over, it seemed perfect. Kyra is thrilled to have someone at our house who knows how to take care of her plants and it also gives her more time with her mom.”

“Cool, I just wanted to make sure everyone was okay. I thought we all made it home safe and sound but ya’ never know with this crew.”

“What was that about ‘this crew’?” Rian asked with his arm around Audrey and a goofy grin on his face.

With any luck that’ll be me in a few short hours...

“I was just taking attendance.” Rory winked at his oldest brother then leaned down to hug Audrey. “And how the hell are you? Sorry, it’s taken me so long to get around to a proper introduction.”

Kissing his cheek and whispering, “Thank you,” in his ear before leaning back into Rian’s arm, Audrey said, “I’m glad to see you up and about. I was worried.”

He could hear the teasing in her voice and appreciated the gleam in her eye. Audrey was perfect for Rian. So much so that Rory decided to give them a little respite before merciless embarrassment for at least a day or two.

“Ya’ got lucky there, bro. She’s a keeper,”
Rory spoke directly into his oldest brother’s mind, not even bothering to shield their conversation from Audrey.

“Don’t I know it,”
Rian answered while placing a kiss on the top of Audrey’s head.

“I’m thinking I did pretty well myself,”
Audrey added with a chuckle.

Rory threw back his head and roared with laughter at Audrey’s cheeky response just as Kellan appeared at his side with a beer in his hand.

“Thanks, Kell.” Taking a long draw on his Tennant’s Super, Rory added, “Just what the doctor ordered.”

“I have no recollection whatsoever of telling you to drink beer,” Calysta teased as she tried to keep from smiling while poking him in the shoulder.

“Are you sure?” The youngest O’Reilly brother chuckled, hugging and thanking her again for all she’d done to help him.

Making his way to the kitchen, Rory thanked everybody and took a good amount of ribbing from his brethren for getting bit and ‘lying about for four days’ before he finally made it to Kyra and the food. “Hey sis, what’s up?”

Sneaking a chicken wing and scarfing it down while the little witch’s back was turned, Rory almost spit out his food when Kyra said, “Don’t think I’m fooled Rory O’Reilly. I know you’re just here for the food...and I saw that,” as she was pulling platters of food out of his refrigerator.

Struggling to swallow and ignoring Kyra as she slapped at his hands while he reached over her shoulder to grab a sandwich, he asked, “When the hell did you have time to make all these goodies?” 

“Mom and Audrey helped and if you promise not to give them a hard time, I’ll let you in on a little secret.”

Nodding with his mouth full, Rory winked as Kyra added, “All of this was Kell’s idea. He and Lenn made almost everything but the chicken wings and pizza. Well, and Mom’s famous chocolate cake, Audrey’s apple pie, and my peach cobbler.”

“Damn, those boys have skills,” he grinned as he grabbed a piece of pepperoni pizza and swerved just in time to miss Kyra’s elbow as it was headed for his midsection.

“Stop eating all the food,” she growled, opening the last pizza box and swatting him with a kitchen towel. Leaning closer, she asked conspiratorially, “Roy talk to you?”

“Yes, he did,” Royce answered from just behind Rory’s shoulder. “And I’ll thank you to not be telling secrets with my brother, mate.”

“Busted!” Rory teased as he scooted out from between his brother and the little witch.

“Don’t you ‘mate’ me, Royce O’Reilly,” Kyra growled in a low grumbly voice, imitating her mate.

Leaving them alone, Rory headed back into the family room and announced, “Y’all better get in there before Roy eats all the food.”

“Why I oughta...” Royce yelled from the other room while everyone else headed toward the kitchen.

Needing a moment alone and figuring while everyone was eating was the best time, Rory headed out to the patio. Standing on the deck, staring at the sun setting between the mountains in the distance, he once again checked on Claire. She was still drugged but doing her best to throw off the effects of the herbs. It was taking everything in the youngest O’Reilly brother’s considerable power not to say the hell with waiting until the cover of darkness and heading off on his own to get back the woman he was miraculously in love with without ever even meeting.

It was sheer torture not to be able to help Claire. Sure, he was pouring all the dragon magic he could through their mating link to help her regain consciousness, but it was nothing compared to what he knew he could do if he was by her side. The need to let her know he was thinking of her and that he would move Heaven and earth to get to her became too strong to resist.

Closing his eyes, Rory pulled the picture of Claire he’d seen while they were linked before her kidnapping and held it front and center in his mind. His dragon added his strength to the Guardsman’s and together, they called out to their mate. “
Claire?
Mo a mhuirnín,
can you hear me?”

He waited for several seconds, received no reply, then added,
“I’ll be there soon. Don’t kick too much ass without me.”

Holding a breath and praying for a response, a sign...
anything
that would let him know she could hear him and knew he was coming, Rory instead heard the sound of the sliding glass door opening behind him and then felt Maddox step onto the wooden deck. Just as he opened his eyes to see what the mad dragon wanted, a soft chuckle floated across his mind.

She’d heard him! Claire had heard him! She knew he was coming and for reasons beyond anything he could understand, that one simple fact made him happier than Christmas morning, his birthday, and a good day kicking ass all combined.

Spinning around, he hollered, “Hell yeah,” and slapped Maddox on the shoulder.

“What the hell has gotten into you?” the mad dragon grumbled, taking a drink of his beer and moving out of the way as Calysta, Kyra, Royce, and Kellan appeared on the patio.

Maddox shot the Grand Priestess a nasty look before turning his back on the lot of them and mumbling to himself.

Wrapped up in how happy he was to have actually made contact with Claire, combined with the need to get to her as soon as possible, overrode Rory’s need to know what had crawled up the mad dragon’s ass this time.

Instead, he looked at Roy and all but pleaded, “We...I mean
I
really need to get to Claire. This shit is killing me. She’s drugged and pissed and...well...I...it’s just that...well...” he struggled with what to say as Royce gave him a knowing grin and Rian, who’d just joined the fun, was shaking his head and chuckling.

“Oh, to hell with this shit! Y’all were right! I was wrong. There I’ve said it. Are you happy? Having a mate is the coolest, scariest, most wonderful and extremely terrifying thing in the world. Now that I have one I want her by my side
right now
,
all the time,
and I’m sick of frikkin’ waiting. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

By the time he finished, he was shouting and speaking so quickly he was out of breath and wondering if they’d understood a word of what he’d just said. Even more than all that, he thought about slapping the goofy grins off both his brother’s faces and maybe even punching them in the gut. And...as if matters weren’t bad enough, Kell, Lenn, and Brann appeared out of nowhere, laughing, pointing, and singing, “Rory and Claire sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.”

Unable to hold back his laughter, Rory howled as they danced around in circles, singing in falsetto like little girls. He wished for his cellphone to take a video for blackmail when each of them found their mate but it was out of his reach, so he did the best he could to get them to stop by yelling over the ruckus. “Just wait, your times are coming.”

All three Guardsmen stopped dead in their tracks. Their eyes were immediately as round as saucers. They opened and closed their mouths so many times they looked like fish out of water. They shook their heads so furiously Rory wondered if they were dizzy and all the while, each man adamantly denied he would ever find his mate.

“Trust me guys, if it can happen to me, it can happen to you,” Rory said before turning to Rian. “We need to leave now. I’m tired of waiting.”

Nodding and still grinning, Rian said, “I understand what an utter pain in the ass waiting can be better than most.” He hugged Audrey, who’d appeared at the Dragon Leader’s side while his brethren were singing, closer to his side before continuing. “But we need to run through the plan again.” The oldest O’Reilly brother held up his hand to stop Rory’s argument. “I know you heard everything we were saying but you need to
see it
and I need to know you won’t go off halfcocked and get yourself killed. Once is enough, little brother.”