The Dragon Guardian Read online

  His dragon hissed. Exactly. I will take her and claim her. She is ours. We should keep her away from the others.

  I agree, but I need some time.

  Hurry up. Even without the mate-claim frenzy, I want her. No, I need her.

  Fergus reached the clearing outside and took off the material around his waist. As chilly air brushed against his skin, Fergus weighed all of his options. Surely one of them would give him a way to win over Gina’s trust.

  Not only that, he was going to have to talk to Finn. Secrets had nearly torn his family apart two months ago. Fergus wasn’t about to chance it again. The only question was whether his clan leader would be able to help the human or not.

  ~~~

  Despite her show of bravado, Gina’s heart thundered inside her chest.

  She was alone with Holly and Fraser. Despite the fact that was what she wanted, the room felt emptier without Fergus’s presence.

  She never should’ve kissed him. Deep down, she would admit it was the best kiss of her life, even better than with Travis. But a kiss didn’t equate caring and love, only lust. Just like with Travis, Fergus would discard her in the end.

  Wouldn’t he?

  Holly touched her arm and Gina met the woman’s eyes; the midwife’s gaze was calm and collected. “Are you okay?”

  Taking a deep inhalation, Gina nodded. “I’m fine. A little tired and anxious about my future, but fine. Give me five minutes to pack and we can leave. Oh, and we need to find Coal.”

  Holly blinked. “Who’s Coal?”

  “My black cat.”

  Fraser and Holly traded knowing glances and smiled. She was about to ask what was going on when Coal strode into the room as if he owned it. As her cat rubbed against her legs, she tried to figure out how he was inside.

  Squatting down carefully so she wouldn’t lose her balance and fall over, Gina scooped Coal up and held him close. As she breathed in the scent of cat and outdoors, another faint scent greeted her nose.

  Fergus. He’d brought in her cat.

  Stroking her pet, Gina’s uneasiness faded. Coal hated all of the men in the area and had bitten more than a few. Yet Coal had trusted Fergus enough to allow the dragonman to pick him up. Maybe there was more to Fergus than she’d thought. After all, before Holly and Fraser had arrived, he’d been rubbing her belly and talking about her son.

  The only question was whether she wanted to risk her heart by trying to get to know the real Fergus MacKenzie or not.

  Holly cleared her throat. “I can fetch the cat carrier whilst you pack.”

  Pushing aside thoughts of a certain dragonman, Gina smiled. “Oh, no need. Coal likes riding in the car.”

  “Pardon?” Holly asked.

  Gina hugged her pet close. “He may look like a cat, but he acts more like a dog. You’ll see.” She kissed the top of Coal’s head and placed him on the bed. “Still, let me toss a few things together and we can leave. But Fraser, can you go to the closet in the living room and find the wooden cradle there? It was my grandmother’s and I want to bring it with me.”

  Fraser nodded and left the room.

  Once they were alone, Holly spoke up. “If you ever need to talk with me about dragon-shifter males, I’m here, Gina.”

  Gina glanced over at Holly. The midwife was more perceptive than she’d given Holly credit for. “The only thing that matters right now is my upcoming meeting with your clan leader. He’s the one who will decide my future.”

  Holly opened her mouth but then promptly closed it. As the woman retrieved clothes from one of the drawers, Gina wondered why Holly held back. It conflicted with everything Gina had seen thus far.

  Before she could think of how to poke without being obvious about it, Fraser returned with her grandmother’s cradle in one hand and a cat carrier in the other. Coal growled at the sight of the carrier and Gina stroked his back. “He really doesn’t like the carrier. But if you can get him in there, then we’ll take him that way.”

  Holly’s voice was full of laughter. “Aye, Fraser. It’s good practice. After all, you promised me ten cats.”

  Fraser winked at his mate. “No worries, honey. It should be easy.”

  Gina blinked. “Ten cats? Am I missing something?”

  Fraser ignored her. After setting down the cradle, he made clicking sounds at Coal. “Here, kitty. You know you want to help me out. Us males need to stick together.”

  As the dragonman inched toward her cat and stuck out his fingers, Coal sniffed a second before butting his head against Fraser’s hand. The sight of the tall, muscled dragonman scratching her cat’s ears made her smile. Coal was very picky about who he let pet him, not that a person could tell from his recent dealings. Could it be that not all dragon-shifters had hidden agendas?

  Fraser set the cat carrier on the bed, opened the door, and retrieved something from inside the carrier. Once he held it up, Gina saw it was a piece of cheese.

  Waving the piece, Fraser whispered, “Here, kitty, kitty.”

  Scrunching his nose and sniffing the air, Coal moved toward Fraser. Gina watched in awe as Fraser finally coaxed her cat into the carrier and clicked it shut. Fraser looked up with a grin. “He doesn't seem bothered to me.”

  Holly chuckled and rubbed Fraser’s arm. “Good. Then I don’t see why we can’t adopt a cat or two once we’re back.” Fraser opened his mouth to reply, but Holly beat him to it. “Unless you’re doubting your cat whisperer abilities?”

  Fraser stood up taller. “Of course not. But let’s take care of Gina first.” Fraser met Gina’s eyes. “We’ll help prepare you for my cousin. A few tricks might help your case with him.”

  Gina frowned. “Why are you so interested in helping me? You barely know me.”

  Fraser shook his head. “The American bastards must’ve done a number on you. Just know that us Scots are different. We like to help someone in need.”

  She sensed there was something he wasn’t telling her. But her baby kicked, garnering her attention.

  Okay, little one. Thanks for reminding me of what’s important. Gina needed to figure out her future. Dealing with the MacKenzies and sorting out their secrets would have to wait.

  ~~~

  Fergus snatched one of the spare plaids tucked into the wall of Lochguard’s main landing area and wrapped it around his body. Once he finished, he headed toward Finn’s cottage.

  His dragon paced at the back of his mind. Finn had better agree or I will challenge him.

  Finn will do all he can. But not even he will do something to endanger the clan. That’s the best we can hope for.

  His beast snarled. Why are you so calm? Even now, she rides with your brother. Until she is our mate and living in our cottage, the others might try to take her.

  Your desire to claim the lass will scare her off.

  But I want her.

  Aye, I know. But let’s try my way first.

  His dragon sniffed. You’re one to talk. You fucked up pretty badly back near the loch.

  Because of you. If you would just bloody calm down, I could think properly.

  I would say it was your own hidden desire, but you’d deny it. I’ll just say this—if I don’t see any progress in the next few days, I’ll try it my way.

  Taking a deep breath, Fergus merely shook his head. It won’t come to that.

  I see someone’s confidence has returned.

  Ignoring his dragon, Fergus picked up his pace.

  Clenching and unclenching his fingers, he was impatient to put his plan in motion. If Finn agreed, Fergus might have enough time to win over the lass before the bairn arrived.

  Of course, his dragon’s need to fuck Gina continued to course through his body. At this rate, he’d meet Finn with a hard cock.

  Since telling his beast to stop would fall on deaf ears, Fergus imagined some of the older dragonwomen in bikinis, and his dick softened again. Good. He’d keep the images handy for the next time he saw Gina. They might help him better manage his dragon’s desire.
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  He approached the two-story cottage with overgrown shrubs in front of it. Knocking on Finn’s door, he schooled his face into a neutral expression.

  The scarred face of Arabella MacLeod, Finn’s pregnant mate, greeted him. After scrutinizing him a second, she stepped to the side and motioned with a hand. “Finn’s waiting for you.”

  Fergus nodded. “Aye, I expect he is.” Arabella said nothing as he rushed past, but her eyes were full of questions.

  Finn opened the door to his study just as Fergus approached. His cousin’s amber eyes were hard, which never boded well. “Get your arse in here, Fergus MacKenzie. I had to reschedule our meeting with both Bram and the human soldier and let me tell you, neither were happy about it.”

  Finn retreated into the room and Fergus followed, shutting the door behind him. “You didn’t tell them about the human female, did you?”

  “No, of course not.” The irritation eased a fraction from Finn’s eyes. “Fraser texted to say the lass is better now.”

  Fergus let out a sigh of relief. “I’m glad. I didn’t like seeing her in pain.”

  Finn steepled his fingers in front of him. “I imagine not. But let’s cut to the chase, cousin. I need more details than the fact Gina is carrying a dragon-shifter’s child and is in hiding. I can understand wanting to be cautious over the phone, but if I’m to decide the lass’s future, I need a lot more information.”

  Fergus’s dragon growled, but he ignored his beast. “The lass’s name is Gina MacDonald. She’s American and on the run to keep her child. The first time I met her, she mentioned Clan BroadBay.”

  “Fuck,” Finn muttered. “I hope the father isn’t from BroadBay.”

  Fergus nodded. “If it’s truly them, I wouldn’t blame her for running. Their brutal and narcissistic reputation precedes them. The only question is if you’ll offer her protection and allow her to stay.”

  “I think the bigger questions are how do you know so much about the lass and why were you watching her in the first place?”

  His dragon spoke up. Tell him the truth. It will give Gina the greatest chance for safety.

  Give me a chance, you bloody beast.

  Finn crossed his arms over his chest and remained silent. Standing up straight, Fergus answered, “My dragon wants her.”

  His cousin raised his brows. “And how do you know this? If she’s pregnant, she won’t stir the mate-claim frenzy.”

  “Aye, but my beast is insistent. Even more so after I kissed her. You of all people should understand the significance.”

  Finn’s dragon had wanted the nearly uncatchable Arabella MacLeod. Only through perseverance had Finn won Arabella’s heart. “You’ve mentioned your dragon, but what about the human female? I won’t keep her here against her will, Fergus. Do you think she’d want to stay with you, too?”

  “I don’t know, but I have a proposal, if you’d like to hear it.”

  Finn motioned a hand. “By all means. The fewer plans I have to devise, the more time I can spend with my mate.”

  “I didn’t plan to burden you with this, Finn. I hope you know that.”

  His clan leader smiled. “Of course I do. Our dragons are unpredictable at best. And considering you’re here talking to me about it, you’re already doing better than your brother.”

  Fraser had kept the secret of Holly being his true mate from everyone and had caused a lot of trouble in the process. “Aye, well, I think we all learned from that.” Finn nodded and Fergus continued, “I’m not sure if you’ve paid attention over the years, but I’ve been collecting human myths about our kind.”

  “It was mentioned, although I can’t say I paid too much attention.”

  “You always were more interested in talking with people in the present than learning about the past, so I can’t blame you.”

  Finn shrugged. “We all have our strengths. Your obsessive attention to details has helped the clan more often than you know.”

  Fergus gathered intelligence for Finn and the Lochguard Protectors. “Well, it’s going to prove useful in this instance as well. Have you ever heard of the Dragon Guardians of Scotland?” Finn shook his head and Fergus explained. “Back when the humans lived together in clans, dragon-shifters had much closer relationships with humans than they do today. The humans even fostered their own kind of sacrifice system by marrying off daughters of the lairds to some of the dragon-shifters. That way, the dragons wouldn’t try to attack them and would even help protect the human clans from invaders.”

  “That much I do know. Get to the bit about the Guardians.”

  Fergus hated to be rushed, but Finn was a busy dragonman. “Since there wasn’t a DDA, the lairds set up a type of protection for their daughters. A dragon-shifter acted as a Guardian to the female during the first year she lived on a dragon clan’s lands. If anything happened to the daughter, the Guardian would be held responsible and be executed by the human laird.”

  “Sounds like a fun job,” Finn drawled.

  Fergus ignored Finn’s comment. “The best Guardians performed their duties for their entire lives. They earned reputations in the Highlands as protectors of humankind. While the truth is somewhat less brilliant, the job was an important one. Only those with patience, strong wills, and an innate desire to protect were selected.”

  “And how do the Guardians relate to the human female?”

  Standing up tall, Fergus answered, “I want to bring the practice back and be Gina’s Guardian. For the first year, I will guarantee her safety and watch out for her and the bairn. At the end of the year, we’ll see if she still requires my protection.”

  His clan leader studied him a second before finally replying, “How often did the Guardians of old take their charges as mates?”

  “Not often. Leaders weren’t as concerned about true mates and happiness as they were survival in those days. Alliances were often more important than love.”

  “Aye, but this is the 21st century, Fergus. You say your dragon wants the lass, yet you want to protect her. The most important question is if you can protect her from yourself?”

  His dragon growled. We would never hurt her.

  Clenching his fingers, Fergus took a step toward Finn’s desk. “If I feel my dragon seizing control, I will tell you. In that instance, I’m sure Faye and my mum would look after her. Faye may no longer be a Protector, but she still has all of the training.”

  “I’m sure this sounds fantastic inside your head, but what if the lass rejects you? She’s been hurt and may not open up for quite some time. Hell, for all we know, she might still love the father of her child. Even if fate decrees you as true mates, there is the possibility Gina will fight it and deny you.”

  Only through sheer force of will did Fergus keep his dragon in check at the mention of Gina loving the bastard who hurt her. “Did you let that stop you with Arabella?”

  Finn smiled fondly, no doubt at the memory of pursuing his mate. “Good point, cousin.” His clan leader paused a second and continued, “Before I even attempt to convince the DDA of allowing the human to live here long-term, I want to meet this Gina MacDonald and assess if she’s a threat to the clan. If she passes my check, then you still need to convince the human to accept you as her Guardian.”

  “I’m fairly sure I can convince her. But, if I can coax the lass to agree, BroadBay might try to take her back. Can the clan handle another threat?”

  Finn waved a hand. “You always worry too much about the clan. In this, you focus on Gina and I will deal with BroadBay if they show up.” His clan leader gripped his shoulder. “You are one of the hardest working and least recognized clan members, Fergus. You deserve a chance to seize your own happy ending. And not just because you’re my cousin. You’re a fine male, Fergus MacKenzie. Any female would be lucky to have you.”

  Fergus had never been good with praise, so he didn’t acknowledge it. “So when will you have a decision?”

  “That anxious to have the female to yourself, eh, Fergus?”
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  Fergus frowned. “Not all of us think solely with our cocks. She’s alone and on the run. I bet she wants to know what her future holds for both her and her son.”

  Finn sighed dramatically. “You always were the logical and noble one, Fergus.”

  Grinning, Fergus winked. “Well, someone had to be. My mum needed an ally to help with the responsibilities, and you and Fraser weren’t about to do it.”

  “We were a bunch of wild teenagers, weren’t we?” Finn’s mobile phone beeped with a text message. “Sorry to cut short our walk down memory lane, but that’s probably Grant wanting to talk about Gina’s background check. Go home and put on some clothes. I’ll let you know when and where to meet Gina after I talk with her.”

  Fergus nodded. “Okay, but just don’t scare the human too much. She’s quite pregnant and Arabella will have your hide if she finds out you scared a pregnant woman.”

  “Hey, now, I don’t scare people. I just hint that it’s in their best interests to behave.”

  The door opened before Fergus could reply. Arabella stood in the doorway. “Grant’s pestering me to the point I had to get off the couch. Call him, Finn, so I can take a nap.”

  Finn’s expression turned concerned as he walked to his mate’s side. “Are you okay, Ara? Do I need to call Dr. Innes?”

  Arabella sighed. “No, for the tenth time today, I don’t need the doctor.”

  Placing a hand over the small bump of Arabella’s abdomen, Finn whispered, “Come on, babies. Give your mum a rest. Otherwise, she’s cranky.”

  “Finn,” Arabella growled.

  Having heard Finn and Arabella’s back and forth over the triplets before, Fergus motioned toward the door with his head. “Call me when you’re ready, Finn.”

  His cousin nodded and Fergus rushed out of the cottage. Breathing in the cool winter air stirred his dragon. I wish he’d stop being overprotective with Arabella. It’s really irritating me.

  Fergus snorted. As if you’d be any better. If we can convince Gina of the Guardian idea, you’ll be just as protective.