The Dragon's Heart (Lochguard Highland Dragons #3) Read online

  Contents

  Title

  Lochguard Highland Dragons Series

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Epilogue

  Blaze of Secrets Excerpt

  Books by Jessie Donovan

  Author's Note

  About the Author

  Copyright

  The Dragon’s Heart

  (Lochguard Highland Dragons #3)

  Jessie Donovan

  Want to stay up to date on releases? Please join my newsletter on my website by clicking here.

  Books in this series:

  Lochguard Highland Dragons

  The Dragon’s Dilemma (LHD #1)

  The Dragon Guardian (LHD #2)

  The Dragon’s Heart (LHD #3)

  The Dragon Warrior / Faye and Grant (LHD #4 / Early 2017)

  The Dragon’s Heart Synopsis:

  Lorna MacKenzie lost her mate nearly thirty years ago. Dedicating her life to her children, she brushed off the thought of ever finding love again. After all, Jamie MacKenzie had been her true mate. Who could ever replace him?

  Ross Anderson came to Lochguard to be near his daughter and fight his cancer. Over the last six months, he's become close to one particular dragonwoman. However, he doesn't want to pursue her as a dying man. But now that his cancer is gone, Ross is determined to win Lorna's heart.

  As the pair fight their growing attraction to one another, the only question is will Lorna open up to Ross or forever hold on to the memory of her first love?

  To all of my older readers

  Love isn’t reserved solely for the young. May you find your true mate and live happily ever after.

  Chapter One

  Lorna MacKenzie eyed her youngest son arguing with flashing dragon eyes and wished for once he’d taken more after his late father, Jamie.

  Her inner dragon snorted. Two serious male sons would’ve been much worse. Fergus and Fraser balance each other out.

  Fergus and Fraser were Lorna’s identical twenty-nine-year-old twins. I’m not so sure about that.

  Regardless, Fraser does take after Jamie. He's protective.

  As she watched her son, Fraser, challenge Ross Anderson, the human male staying with her, Lorna wouldn’t disagree with that.

  Fraser stood tall, his ginger hair glinting in the light. “I think it’s time for you to find your own place, Ross. The cancer’s gone and you’re taking advantage of my mum’s hospitality.”

  Rather than scold her son for assuming what Lorna wanted, her curiosity wanted to see how Ross would respond.

  Her dragon huffed. And why is that?

  Lorna ignored her beast.

  The gray-haired, brown-eyed human male took a step toward Fraser, not the least bit intimidated by the dragonman, who was a little more than thirty-five years his junior. “What I do or who I stay with is none of your concern, lad. If Lorna wanted me to leave, she’d tell me to leave. She’s not one to beat around the bush.”

  “Watch how you speak about my mum, Ross,” Fraser growled.

  As the two males stared at each other, Fraser’s mate and Ross’s daughter, Holly, sighed at Lorna’s side. “Should we just leave them to have their row? I’d much rather spend time with my baby nephew.”

  She stopped listening to the two males and answered Holly. “I’m never one to turn down time with wee Jamie, but Fergus needs my help and should be by at any minute.”

  “Oh?” Holly asked. “What for?”

  Lorna smiled. “I can’t tell you, child. It’s a secret.”

  Not that Lorna was in on the secret herself. She only knew Fergus wanted her to talk with an old acquaintance. Since Lorna knew everyone in the clan and more than a few secrets about them, she’d help her son with just about anything he needed. She only hoped it was something that could help better protect Clan Lochguard; the attack two months ago still loomed large. It would take many more years to rebuild.

  Her dragon grunted. We’ve rebuilt before, and we’ll rebuild again. Lochguard is strong.

  Aye, we are. But isolation doesn’t work as well as it once did. Diplomacy is the future.

  Holly opened her mouth to reply to Lorna’s statement when Fraser closed the distance between himself and Ross. “Then let me ask her point blank.” Fraser looked to Lorna. “So, how about it, Mum? Are you ready to ask this human to leave?”

  Holly frowned. “Fraser, that’s my dad you’re talking about. You shouldn’t be so hostile.”

  Lorna placed a hand on Holly’s arm, signaling she’d take care of the situation. “I think you need to go take a dunk in the loch.”

  Fraser blinked. “What?”

  From the corner of her eye, she saw Ross trying not to laugh. Clever male. “You heard me. Why you’re hell bent on kicking Ross out on his bum, I’ll never understand.”

  “But, Mum, he’s more than capable of taking care of himself,” Fraser added.

  “So? It’s only Faye, Ross, and myself here now. I imagine Faye will leave soon, too, and I’d rather not be all by myself in this big house.”

  It took everything she had not to look at Ross. She and the human got along well. Maybe too well. Lorna had long ago sworn off taking a new mate. Jamie MacKenzie had been her true mate and love of her life. She had vowed never to betray him by taking a new male.

  Her dragon huffed. It’s been nearly thirty years. Not even Jamie would’ve expected us to be alone this long.

  Even if that’s true, we’re far too old to start dating now. I don’t know the first thing to do.

  I do. We might be older, but we’re not dead. If you’re not going to let me fly anytime I want, then you should find a male. Sex will make us both feel good.

  Shush, dragon. A friend is all I want.

  Maybe soon you’ll stop lying to yourself. I know your feelings about him. Why deny it?

  She did glance at Ross then. When he met her eye and winked, Lorna’s heart skipped a beat. He was attractive, aye, but that wasn’t enough for her. If she ever did find the courage to accept another male, she wanted someone to finish growing old with.

  And truth be told, Lorna wasn’t sure if she was ready to open her heart to another male yet, not even one who could make her laugh or find ways to take away her stress.

  Her dragon sighed at the back of her mind. Lorna ignored her beast and focused back on Fraser glaring at her.

  She was about to shoo Fraser out of her cottage when the front door opened. Fergus’s voiced boomed down the hallway. “Mum? I need you to come with me.”

  She looked to Fraser, Ross, and back again. “You two either sort yourselves out or separate. When I get back, I want some peace and quiet. If I don’t find it, then I will use the wooden spoon on both of your bums.”

  Without another word, she turned and greeted her other son in the entryway. With the faint sun highlighting his ginger hair and blue eyes, combined with Fergus’s calm expression, the lad was the spitting image of his father.

  Not wanting to waste time thinking about her dead mate, Lorna raised her brows. “Well? Where are we going?”

  “Just come outside. I don’t want the others to hear.” Fergus raised his voice. “And don’t think of spying on me, Fraser.”

  “Who me?” echoed down the hallway.

  Shaking his head, Fergus exited the cottage. Lorna yelled behind her as she followed, “I w
ant silence when I return, or I will smack some bums. I don’t give empty threats.”

  Not wanting to give Ross and Fraser a chance to argue, she shut the door and turned around. Lorna blinked at the male standing on her doorstep. “Stuart MacKay? Is that you?”

  The tall dragonman with blue eyes and hair more gray than black smiled. “Lorna Stewart MacKenzie. It’s been a while.”

  She eyed the male she’d known her whole life. “Aye, it has, Stu. But what are you doing here? You’re supposed to be with Clan Seahaven.”

  Seahaven was a small, exiled clan of dragon-shifters with human mates. While the old leader who had exiled them was long gone, the residents of Seahaven had declined moving back to Lochguard. That had prodded Lochguard to try to form an alliance with them. Her son, Fergus, had been facilitating negotiations for months.

  Fergus spoke up. “Stuart is Seahaven’s representative. We’re negotiating a tentative alliance today, but Stuart and his brother, Euan, only agreed to talk if Stuart was allowed to see you during his visit. So, here we are.”

  Lorna could tell her son didn’t think much of the request. Fergus loved efficiency, so he’d see Seahaven’s representative chatting with her as nothing more than a waste of time.

  Moving her gaze back to Stuart, Lorna eyed the male a year her senior. She hadn’t thought about him in a long while, but at one time, they’d been inseparable.

  However, her dragon had had other ideas.

  Her beast huffed. Jamie was better.

  Since both Fergus and Stuart still stared at her, Lorna decided to be polite before going in for the kill and demanding more answers.

  Lorna kept her tone light as she replied, “That seems a strange deal. But here I am. As you can see, I’m still alive. Not even my devil children have killed me yet.”

  The corner of Stuart’s mouth ticked up. “Not for lack of trying, I bet.”

  “Hey now, my children adore me.” She looked to Fergus and waved. “Tell him.”

  Fergus frowned, but Stuart spoke before he could. “Of course they do. Anyone who knows you would love you, Lorna.”

  His words set off warning bells in her head. It was best to change the subject. “Now that’s sorted, how about we get walking. Then you can tell me all about your mate Deborah and your horde of children.”

  Sadness flickered in Stuart’s eyes. “Deb passed away a few years ago from cancer. And our only son died in his teens at the hands of the dragon hunters.”

  Bloody hell. Leave it to her to bring up every painful memory in one go. “I’m truly sorry, Stu.”

  He smiled again. “That means a lot coming from you, Lorna.”

  Her dragon chimed in. If you won’t go after the human, then what about Stuart?

  Ignoring her beast, Lorna cleared her throat and motioned to their surroundings. “Aye, well, we can chat some more later, and you can tell me all about your braw son and your mate. I lost my own Jamie, so I understand the grief and pain more than most.”

  Stuart nodded. “I heard about Jamie. I’m sorry, Lorna.”

  “It was a long time ago.” Stuart opened his mouth, but Lorna beat him to it. “But we can talk later. If we don’t get a move on, Fergus will have a stroke.”

  Fergus frowned. “Hyperbole doesn’t help anyone.”

  “Not true. It helps quite a bit with bairns. You’ll find that out soon enough, once wee Jamie is walking about and getting into things he shouldn’t.” A cool breeze blew, and Lorna rubbed her hands together. “For now, it’s bloody freezing out here, and we should get moving. My bones aren’t a fan of the chill, and I don’t think you want to be responsible for my death, Fergus.”

  Her son sighed at her exaggeration.

  However, Stuart grinned at her deliberate use of hyperbole. “Aye, I know the feeling as we’re of an age.” He put out his arm and waved his elbow. Lorna snorted as she threaded hers through his. Stuart added, “So let’s get both of us out of the cold air before we catch our deaths.”

  Fergus studied them a second. He wisely resisted arguing and merely motioned toward the Protectors’ central command. “This way.”

  As they followed Fergus, Lorna resisted looking up at the handsome, blue-eyed dragonman at her side. While things had been awkward at first, they’d nearly fallen into old times with teasing.

  Her dragon spoke up again. If not Ross, then what about Stuart? Pick one.

  Lorna didn’t like ultimatums. And yet, she wondered if maybe she should go after one of the males.

  But she would debate all that later. For the moment, she would simply enjoy walking on the arm of a handsome dragonman, especially one she had such a deep history with.

  It may have been thirty years, but time wouldn’t erase the fact she and Stuart MacKay had nearly mated. If not for Jamie’s bold move, her children would’ve been Stuart’s instead.

  She wondered exactly why he wanted to see her after all these years. If he was looking for a new mate, then Lorna started to wonder how she would respond.

  ~~~

  Ross Anderson took a deep inhalation and let it out as Fraser and Holly shut the rear door behind them. Ross wasn’t usually hotheaded, but Lorna’s son had a way of bringing out the worst in him. If his daughter didn’t love the bloody dragonman, Ross would’ve tried long ago to convince her to leave him. But Holly did love him, for whatever reason, so Ross put up with the young lad’s overprotectiveness. Well, sometimes. Ross wasn’t above taking Fraser by the ear if he ever truly stepped out of line.

  Although, Fraser had come close to that line earlier. To be honest, the lad had hit close to home with their row.

  Every day Ross wondered if Lorna would ask him to leave. The fact she hadn’t done so earlier, when asked point blank, made him think he might still have a chance with the dragonwoman.

  He well knew Lorna mourned her dead husband still. Ross understood the feeling better than anyone considering his own wife had been murdered over a decade ago. Much like Lorna loved her dead husband, he’d always love Anne. Truth be told, Ross had never expected to find someone else, especially once the cancer had taken hold.

  But the treatments his daughter had given up so much for had worked. A few weeks ago, he’d been declared cancer-free. For the first time in a long time, he had a future.

  And while Lorna may be determined to keep her heart closed off, Ross wanted more than their chats or head shaking over their children. Not just because she was beautiful—although she was to him—but also because of her heart, vivaciousness, and humor. He could see them growing old together. Or, rather, older together.

  Only because it was illegal for human males and female dragon-shifters to mate had he kept his feelings about Lorna a secret and delayed his plans to pursue her. Well, secret might not be the right word. But if the laws had been different, he would’ve coaxed a kiss from the fiery woman the day he’d learned his cancer was gone.

  And yet, with the recent mating on the telly between a female dragon-shifter named Nikki Gray and a human male named Rafe Hartley, Ross was starting to think he might have a chance with Lorna MacKenzie.

  Right, Anderson. The longer you put it off, the greater the chance someone else will steal her away. As it were, he was surprised Lorna didn’t have a horde of men after her. Probably because the bloody woman only seemed concerned with taking care of everyone else and never herself.

  That would soon change if Ross had anything to say about it. After Lorna helping him for so many months, he wanted to repay the favor and then some.

  Just thinking of holding Lorna close and kissing her caused heat to rush through his body. He’d spent many a night dreaming of the woman.

  It was time to make those dreams a reality.

  He just needed to think of a plan. Sitting in the chair in the front room, Ross tried to think of how to get some alone time with the dragonwoman when he spotted Lorna walking away on the arm of a tall man through the window. The man turned his head with a smile. The bloke was too old and gray to be her son.r />
  While Ross didn’t know everyone on Lochguard as well as most, he couldn’t recall ever seeing the man.

  His heart skipped a beat. Maybe he’d been a daft fool and waited too long after all.

  No. He wasn’t about to give up until he knew more. The other man leaning down to smile at Lorna might be a friend or even a relative. Ross wouldn’t think the worst.

  He would find a way to be alone with Lorna this evening and find out all he could. If there was even a sliver of a chance, Ross would pull out all the stops to convince the stubborn woman to give him a chance.

  Lorna had spent decades raising her children and looking out for them. With them all grown, it was high time she had some pleasure for herself. And Ross was going to be the one to give it to her.

  Chapter Two

  A silence lulled as Lorna walked with Stuart MacKay and she decided she was done with pleasantries. “Why did you volunteer to come to Lochguard?”

  Stuart raised his brows. “You don’t want peace between our clans?”

  “Aye, of course I do. However, Fergus and Finn are in charge of the negotiations, not me. I want to know why you wanted to see me specifically.”

  He winked. “You always did get straight to the point.”

  “Of course. It saves a lot of time. Clan leaders would get twice as much done if they only spoke their minds.” She pulled gently on his arm. “So, why?”

  Stuart looked to Fergus slightly ahead of them and back to her. He leaned down to whisper into her ear, “We were friends once, Lorna. I’d like to be friends again. So when I heard my brother was looking for a go-between for Lochguard, I volunteered.” He leaned closer and his hot breath tickled her ear. “As far as I hear it, you’re unattached.”

  Not caring if Fergus heard or not, she replied, “That isn’t any of your bloody business.”