Haunted By Her Dragon (The Dragon Guard Series) (32 page)

For a brief second, she wondered how they had
known, and then got so caught up in the festivities it was several hours before
it dawned on her that she had forgotten to ask. Figuring it would have to wait
until later, she made her way back down to Lance. The young Healer had been
replaced by
Jace
, a newly ‘transformed’ member of what
they called the Dragon Guard. He seemed like a good kid, but looked no older
than the high school kids she had taught CPR to over the summer. She knew
sooner or later her brain was going to explode from all the new things she was
learning, and she hadn’t even touched on the ‘special language’ she’d heard
them speaking. It reminded her of the Gaelic she had heard Charlie’s parents
speak the few times they had visited.

She gave Lance his nightly sponge bath and
realized she was actually holding her breath, waiting for him to open his eyes.
She longed to hear, “Doc,” in his low baritone rumble that worked its way under
skin and made her pulse race, and to feel his lips on hers. Taking a deep
breath, she wiped across his chest with a clean cloth to remove the bath oil
infused water, and marveled
again
as ‘Lancelot’ as she had started
calling the dragon on his chest, responded to her touch. She thought back to
her dream that had featured the amazing beast and recalled every detail of his
massive body. Something about that dream seemed real. At the time, she’d
dismissed it as her lack of sleep, but after all she had learned in the last
week, she had to wonder if it
was real
. Had he actually flown past her
window, watching and protecting her even in his dragon form?
Kyndel
and Grace had said that she was the mate of not only
the man, but the beast. Could that really be true? Why would she doubt that if
she was willing to believe the rest?

Her hands moved along Lance’s amazing body,
touching every muscle, caressing the definition of his eight-pack, making her
mouth water with the need to taste. She knew she should feel bad that she was
getting excited while he lay there unmoving. Recovering from an almost fatal
injury, but her body had a mind of its own. It also didn’t help that the longer
her hands massaged his tanned skin, the stronger the feelings of lust coming
through their connection grew and the stronger the electric current between
them ran. Somewhere in his healing sleep as they all called it, he was aware of
what was going on and knew she was caring for him. It was just something she
knew
,
without explanation.

Siobhan had explained that it was a combination
of the massive amount of silver that had infiltrated his body, the way his dragon
had drained his strength to keep Lance up and ‘fighting’ that was prolonging
his healing time. Sam would have thought it might’ve had something to do with
the huge blade they had removed from his chest, and said as much to the elder
woman. The Healer had just laughed, and told her that he had healed from much
worse almost overnight. It was completely inconceivable that everything they
had shared with her was true, yet she
was
watching it happen, living every moment of it, and not
able to dispute one thing she had learned.

Deciding it was truly masochistic to continue
torturing herself any longer, she rushed to finish. Her resolve almost
evaporated as his cock jumped when her hands came near, but she reminded
herself that if nothing else, she had taken an oath to care for the sick and
injured, not molest them where they lay. She laughed at her own silliness and
the way she was hiding behind her profession. The three women she was quickly
coming to call friends had warned her that as the mating bond grew, so would
her need to be with her mate. They had
not
been lying. There were times
that just looking at him made her nipples pebble and juices flow. More than
once she’d had to excuse herself to the ladies room to splash cold water on her
face and take a few deep breaths. Even then, she could still smell his
masculine scent on her hands and clothing where they had come in contact with
his sensual skin. It was a tantalizing aroma that reminded her of the air right
after a lightning strike, cool and fresh, but electrically charged with an
undertone of musk that sent her pulse racing and her temperature rising. The
man was a damn drug, and no matter how hard she tried to deny it, she feared
she was addicted.

Settling into the huge recliner Royce had
brought down for her the first night, she dreaded the morning. It meant leaving
Lance and Sydney, and the place she was quickly becoming to think of as a
second home. If anyone had told her a couple of weeks ago that she would ever
enjoy sharing her space with
anyone,
she would’ve called them a liar,
but now she was finding it hard to think of her life without these people. She
had no clue what that meant to her plans for the future. Siobhan had expressed
how desperately their
clan
needed healers, especially ones that could
treat human mates
and
dragon kin. Could she do it? Could she leave
behind all that she knew and go to only God knew where, and live with people
that could do things she’d once thought only existed in books and movies? The
longer she thought, the more she realized the real question was...could she
live without Lance?

Three weeks?
Three fucking weeks?
And Samantha wasn’t even in the house after all that time. Rayne had decided it
was okay for her to return to work, and Lance hadn’t been awake to go with
her.  Thankfully, the Commander had her under constant protection either
by those of their clan or Max’s men. He and his dragon were having a difficult
time rationalizing that
they
were not the ones protecting her, and in
the last few hours.  Every few minutes he’d had to convince both man and
beast that no one would dare touch her. It was one of the most difficult things
he’d ever done, and it pissed him off more than he wanted to admit.
All of him
,
body, and soul needed to be near her.
Needed to hold her.
Needed to connect with her.
He didn’t even care that
all of his brethren were going to razz him relentlessly. He just wanted Sam as
soon as possible. Being without her for those long weeks had left a huge dark
hole in his soul that only her light could fill. He needed her to feel
complete. He needed
her
more
than he needed his next breath. For what seemed like the hundredth
time while Siobhan poked and prodded, he talked himself down from certain
madness. His dragon pushed and chuffed, but there was nothing he could do. His
brethren, especially Royce, would just kick his ass if he tried to move before
the Elder Healer gave her permission. He’d been warned, and from the look in
their eyes, they meant what they said. He sat as still as possible and endured
the exam. Whatever it took to get the hell out bed and to his mate was what he
was going to do.

He’d never been out that long, even when he’d
damn near had his arm
and
leg blown off in the Gulf War. What was even
weirder was that he had no recollection of what had gone on outside of his
healing sleep. He hadn’t felt like he was floating. Hadn’t had any dreams. He
hadn’t even fantasized about Sam. It was just one big, black blob of
nothingness. Siobhan had explained that it was because both he and his dragon
had been completely drained, and the silver had simply taken over. The Elder
Healer had explained in detail how Kyra, and as many healers as could make the
trip, had chanted to keep him from crossing over into the Heavens, but it was
when she spoke of his mate that he was filled with a pride he’d never known.

“She is truly a gifted doctor and an amazing
woman, Lance,” Siobhan stated. He could see that his Doc had made quite the
impression on the Elder Healer. “But she is struggling to come to terms with
all she has learned, and the impending changes in her life.” She looked at him,
and he braced for the lecture he knew
that
look prefaced.

“Grace and
Kyndel
did
a good job of explaining how our kin came about, dragon shifters, and mates,
but it would have been better coming from you. Having a mate means her needs
come before yours, even if your needs are just your fears rearing their ugly
little heads.” He attempted to interrupt to defend himself, and she stopped him
cold with a pointed stare. Nodding for her to continue, he settled and took his
verbal punishment, because he knew she was right.

“I was there when Alexander brought you to the
lair. I know the responsibility you felt, and still feel to this day at the
death of your family, but you have to put that behind you. The Universe has
given you a mate, a woman made especially for you, your perfect compliment in
every way. It is the dream of every dragon, be
he
Guard or not, to find his mate. You my boy cannot let your past get in the way.
Andrew is still out there, and this human criminal that is apparently somehow
in league with him, but that does not change the simple fact that your future
has come to you, and you have to grab it with both hands and live it. It is
time. It is what you
r
mother and sisters would want for you.” She paused, and he knew she was giving
him a chance to respond, but his surrogate mother had literally stolen the
words from his mouth.

“She does not know the story of Andrew and his
betrayal, so that is up to you to explain or not. I also have not shared with
her my beliefs about Sydney. Samantha loves that child, and I can tell that you
are falling for her charms as well.” She winked, and he knew it was for his
benefit. “Our beliefs about her origin need to come from you.”

He knew she was right, but wondered what his
amazing mate would think of their theory. No matter, he wasn’t a coward. She
had to know the truth, and she had to see that they were meant to be together.
He damn sure wasn’t letting Sam over-think their destiny. She was his, just as
much as he was hers. He would do everything within his considerable power to
make her choose him and their future, and if that didn’t work, he would ask his
brethren for help. At this point he had no dignity and no shame. All he had was
the love that filled every fiber of his being for the woman that was meant to
be his in this life and the next.

Hours later, he was finally allowed to get out
of bed with a clean bill of health. The first stop was the longest, hottest
shower he ever remembered taking. As the water flowed over him, and the steam
filled the bathroom, he thought of all he had learned since his return to the
living. It was obvious Sam felt the pull of the mating call, and had opened
herself to their bond in order to save his life. Being able to feel her had
been one of things that had allowed him to not run off like a crazy man looking
for her as soon as his eyes had opened. The bond that would allow her to share
his dragon magic and all its benefits was still new, and weak, but now that he
was awake, he planned to do everything possible to make it as strong as
possible and to get the gorgeous Dr. Malone to be his mate for all time. He couldn’t
wait to have their official mating ceremony, and he knew exactly where it would
be. Thankfully, Aidan had paved the way for them to have their own unique
location for the sacred ritual that would bind them together for all time.

Finally feeling almost like himself, he dressed
in a pair of jeans and grabbed his favorite boots. He had to laugh at the story
Jace
had told him about the very boots he was shoving
his feet into. Apparently, the twins had decided that the newly initiated
Guardsman should be responsible for cleaning the mud, blood, and gore from his
boots and do his best to restore them to their original, comfortable condition.
Lance remembered all the things he had been subjected to during his first years
in the Guard, and figured
Jace
got off pretty easy.

Pulling an old gray T-shirt over his head, he
felt the pull of his still healing scar, proving that fucking bastard traitor
had slathered the sword he had been impaled on with some sort of
bespelled
liquid silver. He knew the fucking shit was
almost out of his system, but couldn’t wait for it all to be gone. Scars might
be cool for some guys and prove they were tough, but he knew he was tough. He
chuckled to himself, thinking he really was a funny guy, even though it was
wasted on his brethren most of the time.

He’d only gotten one foot in the kitchen when
he was damn near tackled by a four foot ball of energy topped with a mass of
curly blonde hair and a squeal that could break glass. “You’re up! You’re up!
You’re up!” she screamed as she climbed his leg like it was the old oak outside
his home at their lair.

Lifting Sydney into his arms, she turned
towards the crowd that was gathering and continued to scream, “He’s up! He’s
up! He’s up!”

Rayne walked in carrying Jay who looked as
though he had grown a foot since the last time he saw him and smiled. “Yes,
Miss Sydney, I told you he was awake, and would come up as soon as he was
dressed.”

His Commander turned his attention towards him,
speaking
as he advanced. “She’s been pacing and stalking the door
ever since word that you’d awakened reached us up here.”

Clapping Lance on the back, he continued, “Glad
to have you back.”

Lance nodded, “Glad to be back.” And the
floodgates were opened.