Aiding the Dragon (Stonefire British Dragons Book 9) Read online

  Contents

  Title

  Stonefire Dragons Series

  Overall Dragon Reading Order

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Epilogue

  The Conquest Excerpt

  Author's Note

  Books by Jessie Donovan

  Copyright

  Aiding the Dragon

  (Stonefire Dragons #9)

  Jessie Donovan

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  Books in this series:

  Stonefire Dragons

  Sacrificed to the Dragon (SD #1)

  Seducing the Dragon (SD #2)

  Revealing the Dragons (SD #3)

  Healed by the Dragon (SD #4)

  Reawakening the Dragon (SD #5)

  Loved by the Dragon (SD #6)

  Surrendering to the Dragon (SD #7)

  Cured by the Dragon (SD #8)

  Aiding the Dragon (SD #9)

  Finding the Dragon / Kai and Jane (SD #10 / Oct 2017)

  Craved by the Dragon / Killian and ??? (SD #11 / March 2018)

  Aiding the Dragon Synopsis:

  Teagan O’Shea is a rare female dragon-shifter leader. While her Irish clan has a tradition of female leaders, they have had to hide behind a public male face for centuries to keep the other clans from viewing them as weaker and attacking. When the truth leaks, Teagan is faced with a choice—hand over the leadership to a male or invite the challengers to a leadership trial and earn her place. Out to prove having a penis isn’t required to be a leader, she picks the latter.

  Aaron Caruso is sent to Ireland under the guise of repairing relations between two clans on the isle of Ireland. However, upon arrival he learns the truth. Determined to secure Teagan’s place so he can escape her alluring eyes and addicting personality, he busies himself with helping her any way he can. A female used him once and he’s not about to go through that again, no matter how much the Irish female tempts him.

  As the pair work together on preparations for the leadership trial, both Aaron and Teagan start to see each other in a new light. Both have their own self-imposed loneliness and yearn for something they can’t have. Can Aaron and Teagan not only change tradition but also open their hearts? Or will they each be doomed to live alone to fight their inner battles?

  The Stonefire and Lochguard series intertwine with one another. Since so many readers ask for the overall reading order, I’ve included it with this book. (This list is as of May 2017. Future release dates are subject to change.)

  Sacrificed to the Dragon (Stonefire Dragons #1)

  Seducing the Dragon (Stonefire Dragons #2)

  Revealing the Dragons (Stonefire Dragons #3)

  Healed by the Dragon (Stonefire Dragons #4)

  Reawakening the Dragon (Stonefire Dragons #5)

  The Dragon's Dilemma (Lochguard Highland Dragons #1)

  Loved by the Dragon (Stonefire Dragons #6)

  The Dragon Guardian (Lochguard Highland Dragons #2)

  Surrendering to the Dragon (Stonefire Dragons #7)

  The Dragon’s Heart (Lochguard Highland Dragons #3)

  Cured by the Dragon (Stonefire Dragons #8)

  The Dragon Warrior (Lochguard Highland Dragons #4)

  Aiding the Dragon (Stonefire Dragons #9)

  Finding the Dragon (Stonefire Dragons #10 / Oct 12, 2017)

  Craved by the Dragon (Stonefire Dragons #11 / March 2018)

  The Dragon Family (Lochguard Highland Dragons #5 / May 2018)

  Chapter One

  Aaron Caruso of Clan Stonefire stared at the old metal gate of Clan Glenlough’s lands and resisted the urge to flip off the security camera watching him. He’d done the bloody ridiculous knock they’d asked of him. And yet, ten minutes later, he was still standing in the rain.

  At least it was summer, so he wouldn’t bloody freeze. Not that the Irish summer was any better than one back home, in the north of England.

  His dragon spoke up. Forget about the weather. We will see her soon.

  Not even dropping me in a vat of poisonous snakes will get me to kiss her, dragon. So, shut it.

  This isn’t Italy. Teagan is different.

  Teagan O’Shea was the Irish leader of Clan Glenlough. I learned my lesson about females. Maybe in ten years, I’ll change my view. But for now, they’re more trouble than they’re worth.

  Try telling that to our mum.

  Stop with the logic. Of course Mum is different.

  The metal gate screeched as it opened slowly. In a few seconds, it revealed the form of a young male with red hair and the softness of late adolescence. Aaron added, Great. They sent us a child. So much for a diplomatic welcome.

  The boy’s lilting accent prevented his dragon from replying. “Sorry for the delay. Matters came up.”

  Aaron grunted. “Fine. Can we get out of the rain now?”

  The boy raised an eyebrow. “They mentioned how cloudy weather made you tetchy. Odd, given where you’re from.”

  Great to know the Irish clan was already talking about him. He forced his voice to be polite. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to come inside and talk with your clan leader.”

  “Follow me, then.”

  As Aaron walked past the gate, he noticed few people walking about. The only other time he’d set foot on Glenlough, it had been night and pitch-black. Not even the cottages had had lights shining in the windows.

  While he did spot movement behind the curtains of a few homes, he had the feeling everyone had retreated to merely watch what he would do. Aaron was starting to think he should’ve delayed his trip a few extra days to find a replacement for his usual Protector partner, Quinn Summers. Quinn’s mate going into labor had been bad timing.

  His beast sighed. As if she had control over that.

  I’m starting to think she did. Vivian never wanted Quinn to go to Ireland for weeks on end.

  Vivian is another good female example. You paint with too broad a brush.

  Aaron mentally sighed. Decent ones exist, but just not romantically for me. Accept it.

  It doesn’t have to be romance. Just a kiss or two would be enough.

  Not dignifying his dragon with a response, Aaron caught up to the boy. “Am I still not going to get a hint about why I’m here?”

  The male shook his head. “It’s not my place. Teagan will tell you.”

  At the name of Glenlough’s female leader, his dragon perked up. Good. So we will have a meeting with her.

  It’s probably the only one, so don’t get your hopes up.

  I still say we should find ways to see her again. If you pushed aside your bitterness, you’d see what I see.

  What? And have another female use me and toss me away like Nerina did?

  She fooled you, not me. That’s why you should listen this time.

  Not wanting to deal with an arguing dragon, A
aron constructed a mental prison and tossed him inside. Aaron sighed in relief when his beast’s roars weren’t more than a murmur. Maybe now he could get some bloody work done.

  Because no matter what his beast wanted, there was no fucking way Aaron was going to kiss Teagan O’Shea. Females were off the table for the next few years. His time was better spent eradicating threats and making his clan safe.

  Or, as his current assignment dictated, ensuring the Irish clan’s safety.

  As they finally walked away from the area packed with cottages, the large, looming shape of an old castle came into view. From his previous visit, he knew it was their great hall. In daylight, he could better see the stones making up the walls as well as the turrets. “I wasn’t aware my visit was going to be a clan-wide issue.”

  “It isn’t,” the teenager merely stated, a note of finality in his voice.

  The male might be young, but he was dedicated. Aaron didn’t think he’d spill any more information, so he merely followed the Irish bloke into the great hall and down a set of stairs. However, instead of turning down a corridor like his last visit, they went down a few more flights of stairs.

  When they had to be fairly far underground, the male finally turned down a hallway and stopped at the door at the end. He rapped five times and then left the way he came without another word.

  So much for Irish hospitality.

  The door opened. Killian O’Shea’s tall, dark-haired form filled the doorway. He was Glenlough’s head Protector and in charge of clan security. He was also Teagan’s younger, but overprotective brother.

  Not to mention that since female leaders were viewed as weaker, Killian was the public face of the clan. To most of the world, Killian O’Shea was clan leader.

  Killian grunted. “Come in quietly.”

  His curiosity piqued, Aaron complied. However, the room was empty except for him, Killian, and a table with chairs. There wasn’t even a picture on the maroon walls. Aaron opened his mouth to ask what was going on, but Killian’s glare silenced him.

  Taking a seat, Aaron hoped his assignment with Glenlough was short. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could prevent himself from saying what was really on his mind and that wouldn’t do since Stonefire and Bram—Stonefire’s clan leader—were counting on him to strengthen their alliance with the Irish clan.

  He’d just have to focus on the end game of going home and protecting his mother. That would keep him in line, provided his dragon calmed the fuck down. As if to make a point, his beast pounded on the mental walls, but they held.

  Aaron tapped his fingers against the table and waited for Teagan to arrive.

  ~~~

  Teagan O’Shea laid a hand on the arm of the elderly female sitting next to her. “Are you sure she’s not merely out for an adventure? Sadie has found herself in trouble before for sneaking away.”

  Eliza Kavanagh shook her head, her short, gray curls bouncing around her face. “My Sadie isn’t one to be overly dramatic. If she said she’s running away with that male in a note, she’s done it.”

  “I believe you.” Teagan kept her voice soft. “Why didn’t you tell me of this earlier, right after you found the note?”

  Eliza wrung her hands. “I know dalliances with Clan Northcastle are forbidden right now. I didn’t want my granddaughter to get in trouble.”

  Clan Northcastle was the Northern Irish clan near Belfast. The two clans had been at odds for a number of years, and neither one liked matings between the clans because of it.

  Teagan stared until the older female met her gaze again. “Eliza, you can always come to me, no matter what. Sadie isn’t the first female to fall in love with someone she shouldn’t.”

  Tears trailed down Eliza’s face. “I know I should’ve come. I only hope my delay didn’t make things worse. But I’m here now. Is there anything you can do to help my granddaughter?”

  In fact, Sadie Kavanagh was the second member of Clan Glenlough to run away with a Northcastle member in the last year or so. While Teagan had been working toward mending relations, it hadn’t been soon enough. Her failure had torn apart yet another family.

  Her dragon huffed. We can’t fix everything.

  Perhaps, but this has been a long time coming. I promised our people that I would try to improve relations.

  It’s not our fault the Northcastle bastard leader is acting like a child, demanding everything without offering something in return.

  Not wanting to get into that debate for the hundredth time, Teagan focused on Eliza. “I want you to go with Killian and tell him everything you know, down to the smallest detail. Also, take him to your cottage and help him sort through Sadie’s things. There might be a clue somewhere that he can use to tighten the search. If there’s a way to find her, my brother will do it.”

  Eliza sniffed and wiped away her tears. “Okay. Do you think there’s a chance she’ll come home to me? She’s the only family I have left.”

  Teagan threaded confidence into her voice. “I’m going to do everything in my power to do so, even if it means inviting the Northcastle member to live with us. Don’t worry, okay? Sadie is clever enough to stay under the Department of Dragon Affairs’ radar.”

  The DDA was the Irish government’s oversight agency for all dragon-shifters in Ireland. Their word was law, although their interference usually caused more headaches than anything else.

  Eliza nodded. Teagan squeezed the elderly female’s hand and stood as she said, “Stay here while I fetch Killian. Will you be all right by yourself for a minute or two? If not, I’ll send someone to fetch him and wait with you.”

  “No, I’ll be fine. I’ll do whatever’s necessary to ensure my granddaughter returns. Then I can hug her tightly while simultaneously giving her a dressing down.”

  Teagan chuckled. “Just bake up a batch of your famous whiskey cake, and it’ll remind her of why she should stay.”

  “Bring her back to me, and I’ll bake whatever you like as a thank-you and throw in some potato pancakes as well.”

  “You’re making me hungry, Eliza. I’d better hurry up and set things in motion. I’m definitely going to remind you of your offer once Sadie’s home again.” Teagan moved to the door. “Contact me anytime if you need to. I’ll go get Killian for you. He’ll be here in just a second.”

  “Thank you, Teagan.”

  Satisfied that her clan member had at least stopped crying and was in slightly better spirits, Teagan took a deep breath and walked the short distance between the room with Eliza and the one where she knew Aaron Caruso should be waiting.

  Her dragon spoke up. He’s not going to like that we kept him waiting. He’s always impatient.

  Too bad. Eliza needed us. Only because Killian is watching him am I not going to let Aaron wait another half-hour so that he understands his place on Glenlough. His cockiness in the past, both in person and via video conferences, won’t be tolerated on my home soil.

  Her dragon sighed. You shouldn’t irritate him. That only makes him cranky. His reputation is one of joking and having a good time. I want to see that side of him.

  Even if I was interested in that side of him—which I’m not—a clan leader doesn’t always get to do what they want. The clan comes first. Always.

  Don’t quote lines to me. A clan leader can do more than one thing at a time. To be honest, I don’t know why you resist kissing him. I’m not only curious, but he might be a good match.

  From the first time she’d met with Aaron Caruso, back when her clan needed help chasing away some dragon hunters, her dragon had constantly banged on about kissing the male.

  Teagan answered, No. You know what usually happens when a female leader finds a mate—she gives up her place as soon as she has a mating ceremony. I’m not about to do that.

  Her beast grunted. I don’t know why females have to do that when males don’t. It’s ridiculous.

  I agree, but let’s focus on mending relations with Northcastle first. Then maybe we can worry about ourselve
s. Or, better yet, we can nudge Killian toward a female. I would be content as an aunt.

  Good luck with that. He works all the time and rarely notices any of the females ogling him.

  Well, that might change if we secure the alliance with Clan Stonefire and fix our standing with Northcastle. Killian will then have quite a bit of time on his hands if that happens. I can then nudge him toward a good female.

  I doubt it’ll work, but I’m open to trying. If he doesn’t learn to relax a little, he’ll die young. Just like Da.

  Teagan paused a second before replying, Da was different. We have no real battle warring. Yet.

  Another reason to be nice to Aaron. Stonefire will help secure a stable future, hopefully free of war.

  I know my bloody job, she growled out to her beast.

  As Teagan reached the door to the other room, her dragon fell silent. While her beast might harp on about things and voice strong opinions, she knew when to keep quiet. It was one of the many things Teagan admired about her dragon. Not every dragon-shifter was as fortunate, according to her grandmother and others.

  Twisting the knob, Teagan entered the small room. Aaron’s back was to her. While she appreciated his broad shoulders and his thick, dark hair, she smiled at how he was tapping his fingers. He always did that when it came to meeting with her, either in person or via a video conference. “Just make sure not to wear down my table with your nails.”

  Aaron’s movements stopped. He turned and Teagan hid her surprise. The male had grown a close-cut beard since the last time she’d seen him. The dark whiskers made him look wiser.

  And maybe a wee bit sexier. Not that she’d ever tell him that.

  Then he frowned and she banished that thought. Grumpy wasn’t what she needed, among many other things.

  Aaron growled, “I wouldn’t have to tap my fingers in the first place if you were on time.”