The Dragon Guardian Read online

  Fergus clenched the fingers that had been caressing her cheek moments before. She waited to see if he would come closer again. The irresponsible part of her brain yearned for the dragonman to walk up and kiss her.

  Turning away from her, Fergus remained quiet a second. A rush of disappointment squeezed her heart and she laid her head on Coal’s back. Fergus’s rejection should make her happy. It really should. She didn’t need any more complications in her life. Especially not the kind that involved a dragon-shifter who believed she might be his mate.

  Yet his touch had reminded Gina of what she may never have—a man to call her own and a father for her son.

  The dragonman’s voice was gravelly when he finally spoke up. “The answer to your question is that my dragon wants you, Gina MacDonald.” Fergus looked over his shoulder and she drew in a breath at the heat of his gaze. “While I know your body wants me too, I’ll hold off.”

  Her voice was strangled to her own ears. “Why?”

  He turned. “Because if you wish to stay on Lochguard, I am to be your Guardian. Keeping you and the babe safe is more important than pleasing my dragon’s lusty thoughts.” He took a step toward her and her heart rate kicked up. “You have nothing to fear from me, lass. I promise you. And I’ll find a way to prove it.”

  As tempting as it was to say she very much wanted to live out his dragon’s lusty thoughts, Gina could no longer think of only herself.

  Still, she studied Fergus’s face and tried to determine if he was sincere. From everything she knew, dragon-shifters took what they wanted, consequences be damned. Could it be that, despite the rumors and portrayals in the media, not all dragon clans acted that way?

  Clearing her throat, her voice sounded a lot more even when she replied, “I’m curious to see how you prove it. Dragonmen tend to think with their dicks first and their heads later.”

  Fergus’s eyes flashed and she held her breath. Now was the time to test the dragonman, what with Finn and the others nearby to save her if she screamed. Even if they didn’t help, she had the vial of ground mandrake root and periwinkle in her pocket. The young guard who’d searched her had believed her story of it being a herbal tea to help with pregnancy symptoms.

  The corner of Fergus’s mouth ticked up. “I have an idea. How about I take you to my mum’s house for tonight to settle in? My mum can cook for you and give you some tips about the clan. Between her and my younger sister, you should feel safe enough. Although your cat will have to stay with Fraser for the night. My sister is highly allergic.”

  Gina had seen but never talked with a female dragon-shifter before. Before Travis, she’d been fascinated with all things dragon-shifters and had even joined the fan club at her college. She was curious about how they acted. Her plan to irritate Fergus and drive him away could wait a day if it meant she could check something off her list of things to do. After all, she might be spending the rest of her life on Lochguard and she needed all the information she could get.

  Nodding, she adjusted the cat on her shoulder. “Okay, but just for tonight. If your family is anything like you and your brother together, I’m not sure I could take more than one day there before I started kicking people.”

  Fergus grinned. “Feel free to kick my sister, although I’d watch out for my mum. She had to raise three hellions and an unruly nephew. She’ll predict your next move five minutes before you even think it.”

  Gina really should keep her mouth shut, but she couldn’t resist saying, “You act differently when you’re around your brother or talk about your family. You’re a lot less stuffy.”

  His eyes flashed again and Fergus’s grin faded. “We can debate my stuffiness later. Right now, I should take you home and get you something to eat. You’re paler than I like, lass.”

  She opened her mouth to reply and her stomach growled. Thanks for betraying me, body.

  Fergus moved to her side and placed a hand on her back. Raising her head, she stared into Fergus’s dark blue eyes. Damn, the man was attractive. It was a good thing she’d be around his family. She should be able to resist kissing him again in front of his mother.

  Not that she should ever kiss him again.

  She waved a hand. “It’s no big deal. Another half-hour won’t kill me.”

  “It might not, but it will drive my dragon crazy,” he stated and picked up the carrier. “Let’s get the wee beastie into the carrier. The sooner we leave, the sooner my mum can feed you.”

  As she and Fergus stared at one another, she wanted to know why he cared so much. Even if his dragon wanted her, it was for sex only. Travis had explained that to her.

  Stop comparing him to that bastard. Considering Travis’s trickery, it was highly possible he’d lied to her. Fraser and Holly were mates and there was a lot more than mere lust between them.

  Fergus shook the carrier. Gina gave her cat one last stroke before she maneuvered Coal into the contraption.

  The dragonman bent his head and locked the carrier door. The scent of something wild and male filled her nose. Damn, he smelled good. The memory of his warm, possessive kiss filled her mind and she shivered.

  Gina shook her head to clear it. Would staying in the same house with Fergus for the first night be the best idea? All it took was one whiff of his scent and she ached for his touch. Hell, if he kissed her again, she’d probably strip and offer him her body.

  Her son kicked and she placed a hand over her stomach. Are you telling me you want Fergus around? Her baby kicked again and she smiled.

  “Why are you smiling?” Fergus asked.

  Taking a deep breath, she met his dark blue eyes again. “My son is kicking again. My guess is that he’s practicing in case your hard dick gets a little too close.”

  Chuckling, Fergus moved his hand until it was an inch from her belly. “May I?”

  Allowing the dragonman to touch her was a bad idea for many reasons. Yet before she could convince herself of why, she nodded. “Sure.”

  The second Fergus’s large, warm hand touched her stomach, her son kicked again. Fergus leaned his head close and whispered, “He’s a strong lad already. I can’t wait to see what he’s like when he’s here and kicking. I bet he’ll be a handful and a half.”

  “As long as he’s not like his father, he can be any way he likes.”

  Moving his hand from her belly to her back, Fergus rubbed in slow circles. Despite his gentle touch, she didn’t miss the steel in his voice when he stated, “With you as his mum, he’ll turn out well. Maybe a wee bit stubborn, but a good lad. I have no doubt.”

  As she stared in Fergus’s eyes, she saw nothing but truth in them. He barely knew her, yet he had such faith in her.

  Blinking back tears, she cleared her throat and managed to whisper, “Thank you.”

  Her dragonman opened his mouth, but then shut it. Stepping away from her, he offered her his free arm. “Let me take you home.”

  Home. It wasn’t something Gina had truly had in nearly four months, when her parents had sent her away to Scotland. Her grandmother’s cottage had been nice, but it had never had the sense of safety or comfort she associated with home, especially after her grandmother’s death. Would Gina find it on Lochguard, provided she could stay?

  More than being on the run or hiding in a foreign country, Gina hated the uncertainty. Maybe if she won over Fergus’s mom and sister, they would put in a good word with Finn so she could finally have a home. “And what about Holly and Fraser? Will they be there?”

  “As much as I wish I could keep my bloody brother away, he always finds a way to sneak in.”

  Gina heard the love behind Fergus’s words. “At least you have a brother to annoy you. I only have a sister.”

  “Females can be worse and I’m sure your parents had their hands full with you as a kid.”

  “What are you implying, Fergus MacKenzie?”

  He shrugged. “Oh, just that your mouth was probably washed out with soap a few times for talking back. Am I right?”


  She paused and finally grunted. “Maybe.” Fergus chuckled, and the sight of the big, muscled dragonman laughing made her smile. “But soap is better than a sore bum.”

  “Aye, well, Mum still had the infamous spoon. I’d be careful. Even if you’re pregnant, she might give you a few light taps if you step out of line.”

  She straightened her shoulders. “I’m not worried about that. Compared to you and Fraser, I’m an angel.”

  Fergus snorted. “An angel with a bite, maybe.”

  She smacked his arm. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to insult a pregnant lady?”

  “No, I must’ve missed those days at school. You’re out of luck, lass.”

  Smiling, Gina shook her head. “I’m starting to think Scottish dragon-shifters are unique.”

  “If you mean handsome, clever, and brilliant, then you’d be right.”

  Fergus winked at her and Gina laughed. It was almost as if they were back in the cottage before her pains had started and changed her life forever.

  Then her gaze fell to Fergus’s lips and the memory of their kiss rushed back. Maybe she should give Fergus a chance.

  “Lass, my eyes are up here.”

  Gina’s cheeks flushed and she met his gaze again. “Shouldn’t we be on our way? Holly probably wants to check on me before we go to your mom’s house.”

  “If you’re going to live on Lochguard, lass, then you should start saying ‘mum’ instead of ‘mom.’ It has a nicer ring to it.”

  “You do realize the Americans won the war against the British hundreds of years ago, right? I think that gives us the right to speak how we want.”

  Fergus leaned down and whispered, “You might’ve won against the humans, but if the dragon-shifters had joined forces, you’d be saying ‘mum,’ ‘lift,’ and any other number of words.”

  She raised her brows. “Someone’s a little cocky.” Fergus grinned and Gina sighed. “Fine, let’s say you’re amazing. Will that get your butt out the door any sooner?”

  Fergus tapped his chin. “I may need a few more compliments to manage that.”

  “I’ve hit my compliment limit for the next hour, so you’re out of luck.”

  Her dragonman turned toward her and lightly brushed her cheek. “And yet your sassiness never fades.”

  “Damn straight.”

  As they grinned at one another, Gina’s son moved about inside her uterus. Only when Fergus was around did her little boy dance and move as if he was having his own private party.

  Her mistrust of all dragon-shifters faded a fraction. She didn’t want to get her hopes up that Fergus was what he appeared. But she might have a better idea after seeing him around his family.

  She cleared her throat. “Well, I’m leaving. Whether you follow or not is up to you. I can always ask Finn or Fraser to take me to your house.”

  Fergus growled. “No bloody way. I’m going to be the one to introduce you to my mum.”

  “Then you can carry Coal’s carrier. Since I pretty much only waddle these days, it’s quite a chore to keep my balance with a fourteen-pound cat on one side.”

  Snatching up the carrier, Fergus was at her side. He placed a hand on her back and pushed gently. “Come, lass. Let me take you home.”

  Opening the door, Gina half-expected Fergus to sever contact. However, he never moved his hand from her lower back. Once they were in the hall, he looped an arm around her shoulders. She glanced over. “You’re invading personal boundaries again, Fergus.”

  He raised his brows. “Do you want me to release you?”

  She bit her lip a second as she debated telling him the truth. What the hell. Snuggling against Fergus’s side for warmth didn’t signify anything but practicality. After all, it was freezing outside. “No.”

  His pupils flashed. “Good answer.”

  As her dragonman drew her closer against his side, Gina reveled in Fergus’s heat and spicy male scent. For the first time in a long time, Gina felt safe. She tried not to think too much about the reason why.

  Chapter Seven

  Fergus would have to thank Finn later for sending Fraser and Holly away while he’d been in the room with Gina. Meeting his brother might’ve broken the spell he and Gina were currently under. He still couldn’t believe she’d allowed him to hold her close. Even now, when they were nearly to his mum’s house, she hadn’t asked for him to remove his grip.

  A small gust of wind blew and his female snuggled closer against his side. It was taking every iota of strength he had to keep his cock from hardening. Having the human’s lovely curves and heat so close was both fantastic and dangerous.

  What was even better was his dragon’s contented humming at the back of his mind. It seemed both man and beast were happy for the moment to merely have their female nearby.

  The silence didn’t bother him as they walked. After all, Gina’s face was pale and she had circles under her eyes. His lass was tired, but trying to hide it. He wouldn’t hurt her pride by mentioning it. His sister and mum had taught him well about a proud female’s limits.

  Still, Fergus couldn’t resist stealing a glance over at Gina, who was watching two dragons doing flight exercises in the distance. Judging by their clumsy dives and maneuvers, they had to be two adolescents not quite used to their larger dragon forms.

  He pointed in the direction of the blue and black dragons. “I wouldn’t judge the gracefulness of dragons on those two.”

  Gina tore her gaze away to meet his. “Why’s that?”

  “They’re teenagers and their bodies are growing faster than they know what to do with in both human and dragon forms.”

  He paused and Gina looked back to the beasts. Fergus was about to nudge further when Gina murmured, “It’s the first time I’ve been allowed to watch dragon-shifters fly together at such a close distance.”

  Frowning, Fergus stopped. Laying Coal’s carrier on the ground, he gently touched Gina’s chin with his free hand. “How is that possible if the father of your child is a dragon-shifter?” A thought entered his mind and anger coursed through his body. “Did he force himself on you? If he did, tell me his name and I’ll bring the bastard to justice.”

  Gina studied him a second before replying, “No, he didn’t force me. He was a lying asshole, but not a rapist.”

  Fergus tightened his grip on Gina’s arm. “Tell me who he is and I’ll teach him a lesson.”

  “No.”

  He frowned. “Just ‘no’? As your Guardian, I should know as much about you as possible. Otherwise, I can’t do my job properly.”

  She raised her brows. “I still haven’t decided if you’d be the best guardian or not. Until then, I’ll tell you what you need to know.”

  “Gina—”

  She cut him off. “Look, placing my trust in someone too early is what got me into this mess in the first place. I’m not about to be fooled twice, Fergus. Not even a growly dragonman with kind eyes will change my mind.”

  “What if I shift into a dragon?”

  Gina didn’t so much as blink. “Try it and see.”

  His dragon laughed. She will never obey meekly. I like it.

  Aye, well, you’re not the one who has to protect her without knowing all the facts.

  Use your heart and gut to guide you.

  Fergus grunted. He lived on acquiring information and forming a plan. Winging it wasn’t exactly his style.

  Gina poked his arm, but before she could do more than open her mouth, an all-too-familiar voice filled the air. It was his younger sister, Faye. “Fergus Roger MacKenzie, stop dawdling and get a move on. Mum won’t serve her latest batch of scones until after you’ve brought home the human.”

  He sighed. “How does she even know about Gina?”

  Faye ran up to them. “Finn told her.” His sister looked between Gina and Fergus. “Well? Aren’t you going to introduce me?”

  Motioning between Gina and Faye, he made the introductions. “Gina, this is my annoying sister, Faye. Faye, this is Gina.”
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  Ignoring him, Faye smiled at Gina. “Has my stuffy brother bored you to death yet?”

  A faint flush filled Gina’s cheeks. The sight pumped up his ego a notch. Maybe, just maybe, she was thinking of their kiss earlier, which had been the farthest thing from stuffy.

  Gina put out a hand to shake and Faye took it. “Nice to meet you. And to answer your question”—Gina glanced at him and then lowered her voice—“Fergus is too much of a contradiction to be stuffy.”

  His dragon perked up at that. Faye opened her mouth, but Fergus beat her to it. “What do you mean I’m a contradiction?”

  Amusement danced in Gina’s eyes. “Do you really want to have this conversation in front of your sister?”

  Faye’s eyes widened. “Oh, this just became interesting. Tell me, Gina. What happened? Ever since Fraser mated Holly, it’s been quite boring around here. I could use a good story.”

  Fergus stepped between Gina and Faye. He growled out, “Go home, Faye Cleopatra. We’ll be along shortly.”

  Faye crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re not the boss of me. I’m staying.”

  He hated to make a deal with his sister, but he wanted to find out more about Gina’s comment. Both man and beast burned to find out the truth. “Leave now and you can have all of my scones for the next two weeks.”

  His sister loved food almost as much as flying. Since an accident last year had made flying difficult for her, Faye relied more on food to keep her happy. Only because of her dragon-shifter genes was she still thin.

  Faye finally nodded. “Deal. But don’t stay away too long or Mum will have your head.”

  Fergus grunted. “Fine, fine. Just go.”

  Faye craned her head around Fergus’s body. “Nice to meet you Gina. Don’t let Fergus keep you away too long. The MacKenzie household is a riot, you’ll see. And once you’re settled, you can tell me all about America. I’ve dreamed about going there since I was a little girl.”

  “Faye,” Fergus growled in warning.

  His sister rolled her eyes. “Fine, fine. I’ll go. No need to try and use dominance on me.”