Healed by the Dragon: Boxed Set (Parts #1-4) Page 10

  A dragon never forgets how to fly.

  Pounding on the door snapped Arabella out of her head. Lorna’s voice drifted through the door. “Everything okay in there, child?”

  If anyone else called her child, Arabella would hate it. Yet when Lorna said it, it made Arabella almost feel like family. “Yes, but I have a request.”

  There was a pause. “What, dear?”

  “Is Faye busy? I think I need to shift to ease my dragon.”

  ~~~

  Arabella walked beside Faye, clenching and unclenching her fingers, trying her best not to lose her nerve.

  Yet she truly had never felt the desire to shift as much as she did currently. Hell, she’d kissed a male yesterday and survived. If she was ever going to take the step to have sex with Finn, she had bloody well better get over the lesser obstacle of shifting into a dragon.

  Her dragon chimed in. Good, I want to fly. Later, I want to fuck.

  Bloody hell. You’re as bad as my brother.

  We’re twenty-nine years old and a virgin. I have a lot to make up for.

  Faye glanced over to her and her voice silenced Arabella’s dragon. “You sure you don’t want me to call Finn? He’ll come if you need him.”

  Raising her chin, Arabella didn’t back down. “No. He’s busy and I can’t call on him for every little thing.” Her bravado faded a fraction. “Although I’m sorry to take you away from your busy schedule. I’m sure you have things to do.”

  Faye waved a hand. “I needed a break from Grant anyway. That male drives me crazy.”

  She debated asking a question, but decided to risk it. “Do you fancy him?”

  “No. He and I were friends once, but then he bollixed it all up a few years ago. I recognize his talents with regards to strategy and investigations, but otherwise, I talk with him as little as possible.”

  As Arabella tried to think of what to say to that, Faye took her hand and pulled her into a large open space which was surrounded by high, natural rock walls. “This is the private training area I usually use for my wing of Protectors. We’ll shift here. Now, strip.”

  Arabella blinked. “In the open? Won’t someone see us?”

  “Don’t worry, hen. I have Protectors nearby. They’ll keep spectators away. It’s just you and me. Since you didn’t bring any clothes, you need to be naked when you shift or you’ll be walking naked back to the cottage.” Arabella hesitated and Faye rolled her eyes. “You’re the first dragon-shifter I’ve met who is shy about nudity. Let me assure you, I’ve seen it all before, Ara, thousands of times.”

  I want to fly. Hurry up.

  Don’t you dare shift before I take off my clothes.

  Then get to it. I’ll give you sixty seconds. One, two, three…

  Muttering, “Bloody dragon,” Arabella kicked off her shoes. Taking off her socks, she hesitated. Then her dragon’s countdown continued, Fifteen, sixteen…

  She was fast learning her dragon didn’t bluff. Rather than risk it, she unzipped her jeans and wiggled out of them. She was careful to keep her ankle turned away from Faye; the crinkly scars were mixed with soot that had never been cleaned from her skin. The result was a bumpy, half-colored patch of skin.

  Her dragon’s voice grew louder. Forty-five, forty-six…

  Closing her eyes, Arabella lifted the hem of her t-shirt and tugged it over her head. She stood in her bra and underwear. The light breeze made her shiver.

  Glancing over at Faye, the woman was already naked. “Don’t look at me. Finish getting undressed. It’s a bit nippy today.”

  Her dragon shouted, fifty-seven, fifty-eight…

  Shit. Arabella slid the straps down her shoulders and just managed to unhook her bra when her dragon spoke up. It’s time! Let me out.

  Faye’s voice carried over. “Just let your dragon take over. I’m shifting now, but I won’t take off until you’re ready.”

  The confidence and expectations in Faye’s voice, of how she fully expected Arabella to shift without any problems, gave Arabella the nerve to take off her underwear and say to her dragon, I’m ready.

  Letting down her internal barriers, her dragon rushed to the forefront of her mind. Work with me. Imagine each part of us changing shape. The process will come back to you.

  Her beast sent images of their arms and legs growing into limbs and hind legs, wings sprouting from their back, and a tail growing from their tail bone. Arabella captured each image and replayed them inside her head. After about sixty seconds, the images started to become reality as her bones and skin stretched, causing a rush of pain and pleasure to course throughout her body.

  With a shout, her body grew into the shape of a dragon. Soon, the shout became a roar and Arabella opened her eyes. Looking down and to the side, the tough yet thin purple skin of her wings glinted in the sun. I did it.

  Yes, but we’re still on the ground. I want to fly.

  Give me a few minutes. I-I want to embrace my dragon form and chase away any fear.

  Okay, a few minutes. No more.

  A grunt from Arabella’s side garnered her attention. A large, female dragon with blue hide stared back at her. It had to be Faye.

  The blue dragon tilted her head in question. Arabella gave the universal dragon-shifter signal to wait by raising her wings up behind her and lowering the right one.

  Once Faye nodded, Arabella studied what she could see of herself.

  She watched as she moved her tail from side to side, the sensation of the air against her hide a long-forgotten memory. Remembering other stunts as a child, she laid her tail on the ground and ran it back and forth against the grass, the combination of the rocks and tickle of the blades urging her to roll around on the ground. Unlike when she was little, no adult would scold her from getting her hide dirty.

  Her dragon harrumphed. I want to fly, not roll around in the dirt. Dogs do that, not dragons.

  I remember you enjoying it well enough twenty years ago.

  I am an adult now. I have more dignity.

  We’ll see about that.

  Not wanting to trigger any memories, Arabella skipped the rest of her body. Looking to Faye, she nodded.

  It was time to fly.

  Faye jumped into the air and beat her wings until she was about twenty feet off the ground. Hovering, she stared at Arabella.

  This is it, dragon.

  Taking a deep breath, Arabella crouched and jumped. Her wings moved automatically, until she was at the same altitude as Faye. While her muscles were out of practice, Arabella would deal with the soreness at a later time. Raising one hind foot and shaking it twice, she told Faye to fly.

  After giving her an assessing look, Faye maneuvered her body slightly away from Arabella and moved forward. While Arabella’s movements were a bit clunkier, she followed.

  At first, her concentration was on moving and not falling. A few minutes later, however, Arabella dared to look down.

  Lochguard was below them. Various dragon-shifters were walking about in their human forms, not really paying attention to Arabella or Faye. To them, a flying dragon was as natural as breathing.

  As much as she enjoyed the sights below, the views of the crags and nearby peaks were breathtaking. Maybe someday she could take a trip around the Highlands, and maybe even the Isle of Skye.

  Her dragon chimed in. Ask Finn. I want to tease his dragon. I also want to play chase in the sky.

  I thought you were an adult.

  It’s different with mates. I need to drive him crazy.

  If Arabella had been in human form, she would’ve smiled. One step at a time.

  You are fine. We’re safe here.

  Faye changed course and Arabella paid attention again. They were flying in the direction of the lake.

  Giving a low roar, Faye looked over her shoulder and then pointed down toward the lake with a hind leg.

  The choice was Arabella’s: did she want to go for a swim?

  Follow her, her dragon ordered. My hide is a little itchy.

>   She should tease her beast, but Arabella also yearned to swim in dragon form. Apart from flying, it used to be her favorite thing to do.

  Folding her wings back, Arabella dove toward the water. Careful of her trajectory, she dove in and moved around in the water. The cool liquid against her wings and slightly sore back muscles felt good.

  She stayed beneath the water until her lungs burned and then moved to the surface. Blinking, she cleared the water from her eyelids. Confirming Faye was swimming nearby, Arabella looked toward shore.

  The small tower-like broch was in front of her. Scanning further up the shore, she spotted some men.

  They didn’t have any tattoos on their arms.

  Dragon hunters. They had to be.

  Flailing her wings, she tried to swim toward shore. But the longer she looked at the men, the less control she had of her body.

  Her dragon shouted. They can’t be hunters. Faye would never allow harm to come to us.

  They are. Why else would humans come to the lake? Arabella tried swimming again, but failed. Why won’t you help me?

  Before her dragon could reply, Faye was in front of her, crooning gently.

  Arabella ignored her and kept flailing. Faye quieted, dove into the water and surfaced under one of her wings. Arabella held on as the blue dragon swam toward shore. When the water was shallow enough, she stood and walked the last few feet to shore.

  Staying in dragon form would make her an easy target, so she slammed her dragon into a mental prison and imagined her body shrinking back into a human female. Her wings merged into her back, her legs and arms shrunk, and her snout transformed back into a nose. Glancing toward the group of men, she was relieved to see they were still far away. Turning, she ran toward the clan gates, uncaring about her nakedness. All Arabella cared about was getting to safety.

  Chapter Five

  Finn was listening to a dispute between two of the clan farmers when Fraser burst into his office. Before Finn could say a word, Fraser spoke, “The lass needs you.”

  The farmers, Callum and Archie, glanced at each other and then back to him, although Finn barely noticed. The lass Fraser had mentioned must be Arabella.

  His dragon roared. Go to her. She needs us.

  Looking to the farmers, Finn kept his voice calm and collected. “I’ve given you all of the possible solutions. Take a day or two to think about them and come back with a decision.”

  Callum frowned. “But I haven’t finished my list of grievances.”

  Hurry.

  “Come, Cal. I know every single grievance you would list. Hearing them again isn’t going to change my mind. You have your options, aye?” Once the two older males murmured their agreement, Finn stood up. “Right, then if you’ll excuse me, I need to attend to another matter.”

  The second he and Fraser were out of the room, he whispered, “Tell me what happened.”

  Fraser remained silent until they were outside and away from any prying eyes or ears. “Arabella ran naked through the front gate and kept going until she found a sheltered rock area to hunker down. Faye has tried talking with the lass, but she won’t listen.”

  Picking up his pace, Finn demanded, “Tell me what you know.”

  “Not much, cousin. Faye said something about flying with Arabella before they went swimming in the loch in dragon form. Not long after, Arabella had a meltdown. I thought it more important to fetch you than to ask for more details.”

  His dragon’s voice was laced with worry. Why would she shift into her dragon without us?

  She has an independent mind. You know that.

  Still, she should have waited.

  Shushing his beast, he all but ran after Fraser until they reached one of the sheltered, open-aired spaces used for training the children. Faye stood at the entrance, with three of her Protectors shielding her and keeping the spectators away.

  Since getting angry at who the hell knew how many males that had seen his female naked would accomplish nothing, he focused on Arabella’s well-being. He wasn’t about to allow her to regress.

  A few feet from Faye, he ordered, “Tell me what happened.”

  The worry in his cousin’s eyes eased some of his anger toward her. “You know the humans we allow to fish on the loch? She saw them and panicked. She kept mumbling something about dragon hunters.” Faye took a step toward him. “Help her, Finn. The scars on her body alone tell me that whatever memory she’s trapped inside must be awful.”

  “Keep everyone else away and make sure someone fetches a blanket, coat, or something for Ara to wear.”

  Faye bobbed her head. “I already did. Mum should be bringing them soon.”

  Schooling his face into a neutral expression, he walked through the opening. He finally found Ara sitting on the ground with her knees to her chest and her head on her knees.

  Naked and curled up like that, she looked vulnerable.

  His dragon spoke up. Our mate should never be afraid or sad. Help her.

  Give me a bloody chance, dragon. Handling Ara is different than handling the clan.

  I don’t care. You’re the one with the voice. Use it.

  Walking toward her, he called out her name. When she didn’t answer, he put every ounce of dominance he could muster into his voice. “Arabella MacLeod, look at me.” Her head moved a fraction, but then stilled, so he tried again. “The human males weren’t dragon hunters, Ara. They were just fishermen. Stop allowing the past to take all of your attention. You’re my female and you need to pay attention to me.” Her head lifted a fraction, but not enough. He pushed. “Snap out of it or I’ll pick you up and carry you naked through the clan. Of course, I’ll have to punch every male who looks at you. Do you really want to be responsible for me possibly breaking my hand in the process?”

  With a growl, she looked up. While anger danced in her eyes, the tears squeezed Finn’s heart. “Leave me alone, Finlay Stewart.”

  “So you’re not trapped in a memory? Why didn’t you respond to Faye?”

  Arabella wiped her eyes. “Because it’s humiliating, that’s why.”

  Pushing aside his reaction to Arabella’s tears, he took two steps toward her. “That’s it? You’re just giving up? Maybe you aren’t the female I thought you would be.”

  “I never said I was giving up, but how can I face everyone now? I was known as ‘poor Arabella’ back on Stonefire and after today, it’ll now be the same here.”

  Rolling his eyes, he crossed his arms over his chest. “Shall we bring in a violin to finish off your ‘poor me’ session?”

  Arabella narrowed her eyes. “Stop being an arsehole.”

  “Oh, is that what calling you out on your shit is? If so, I’ll take it. You’re hiding, Ara.”

  “There’s a difference between hiding and figuring what the hell to do about my future. A group of humans set off a panic. That is a huge red flag for me.”

  “And if I had mentioned the humans fished on our loch from time to time? Would that have changed anything?” Arabella hesitated, and he pushed. “I thought so. As much as I’d like to shout at you for going into the loch without any notice or warning, I’m not going to. Instead, I’m going to give you a choice. Once some clothes arrive, you can either toss them on and walk with your head high out of this hiding spot and back to my cottage, or you can hide here until we chase everyone away and you can return to your clan. Which will it be?”

  “I’m getting pretty fucking tired of your ultimatums.”

  He shrugged. “Then stop giving me reasons to use them.”

  Arabella stood up and Finn was careful to focus on her face instead of her naked body. She took a step toward him. “I hate you sometimes.”

  “Good. Hate means you care. When you’re indifferent, then I’ll start to worry.”

  Making a noise of frustration, she poked him in the chest. “You’re a bastard.”

  He took her hand and pressed it against his chest. Leaning forward, he murmured, “You can call me a bastard a million ti
mes a day if it means I can have you naked and arguing in my bed.”

  Her voice lost a little of its heat. “Finn.”

  Leaning back, he stared straight into Arabella’s eyes. The flashing dragon slits told him all he needed to know. “Having a disagreement with your dragon, lass? I bet she wants you to kiss me.”

  The firmness of her jaw told him he was right.

  Releasing her hand, he asked, “What about you, Ara? If I looked down, would your nipples be hard little points? If I touched between your legs, would you be wet for me?” Her silence made him bold. “If nothing else, you’ve forgotten all about your pity session. Am I right, lass?”

  ~~~

  Arabella wasn’t sure if she hated or loved Finn in that moment. He always seemed to walk the line between the two emotions.

  Her dragon huffed. Stop fighting it. We both want him. He was right about you being wet and ready. Kiss the blasted male already and let him fuck us.

  Out in the open? I think not.

  Then you want him to fuck us too. That is progress.

  Exasperated with her beast, she focused on Finn. “I’m a big enough person to admit you made me forget the humiliation, but if you think I’m going to jump into your arms and let you fuck me until I’m pregnant, you have another thing coming.”

  The corner of his mouth ticked up. “I like that you’re thinking of my cock inside you, lass.”

  Growling, she resisted the urge to stomp her foot. “Do you ever stop?”

  “Give me permission to look at your body and I’ll keep quiet,” Finn answered. She raised an eyebrow and he added, “Well, for a little while, at least.”

  Arabella’s heart rate sped up. “Somehow, I don’t believe you.”

  His voice was husky when he replied, “Believe me, Ara, when I finally get to see your body, I’ll be drinking in every sight and storing it into my memory.”

  Her dragon’s voice was also husky. Let him look at us or I’ll release some of my pulsing need to mate out again.

  You and the threats, too. I swear you two are working together.