The Mating Destiny: Werewolves of Montana Book 7 (9 page)

Not that vulnerable.

The skies filled with black and red dragons, so thick it seemed like a sea of crimson and dark. Intent on protecting Michael’s side as he worked his magick, she almost did not see Monroe. The red dragon flew toward them, snarling, and opened his mouth to breathe fire.

The fire would not hurt Michael—if it were
ordinary
fire. But she knew Monroe had been eating Lumen seeds secretly, and they enhanced his powers and made his fire burn hotter.

Michael, duck!

Monroe breathed a line of dragonfire, but Michael ducked. The dragonfire slammed into her, directly into her vulnerable belly of human skin. White-hot pain burned through her, a line of fire streaming through her veins.

Screaming, Anna fell from the sky, writhing in agony as the fire burned through her stomach.

Michael was right. She was far too vulnerable as dragon for battle.

And now would pay with her very life.

His love, his mate, had tumbled downward like a rock. Michael tried to turn, but he was too big and awkward. At his right side, Barlow saw his daughter fall and winged to the earth. He took several hits of stray dragonfire to his wing, but grabbed Anna in his front claws before she hit the ground.

Michael breathed a small sigh of relief as he executed a wide turn and headed downward. Spotting Anna, he landed and then shifted back to skin and conjured clothing. He ran to her side. Barlow had shifted back to skin and clothed himself. Tears streamed down the man’s face.

He looked up at Michael. “Help her, please. You have worked with the wizard. You must have powers to heal my little girl. She’s hurt.”

Anna had shifted back to skin. Too injured to clothe herself, she lay naked upon the parking lot, writhing in tremendous pain. Michael rolled her to her back and horror pulsed through him.

A huge hole, seeping blood, had seared her belly. He looked upward and shouted at the skies.

“You bastards! Look at what you did!” he screamed, holding Anna close. “She’s wounded.”

No one paid attention. Barlow ran over to King Falmouth, who ignored his entreaties.

He looked at the two kings, who watched the action in the sky with pride. “Stop this! Both of you have the power to command your forces to cease this violence!”

But neither king paid him heed.

Michael laid Anna back upon the ground and did the one thing Xavier warned him never to do, the one thing he knew would rouse the wizard’s immediate attention…and the attention of the entire Brehon.

Attack the ruling king of a rival clan.

He breathed a line of red dragonfire in King Falmouth’s direction. Dragonfire powerful enough to fry the ruler. Just as the flames reached the monarch, who struggled to stand and escape them, Michael pulled the fire back into himself.

It slammed back into him with the force of a tornado, but he managed to stand.

The lessons with Xavier had served him well.

And just as King Falmouth collapsed back onto his makeshift throne, shaken but unhurt, there was an enormous surge of white, brilliant light.

Clouds of gray, crimson, silver and white smoke.

The surge of energy made the dragons fall from the sky, snarling as they tumbled downward. Most managed to land on their feet, but a few hit hard, making the earth tremble.

And then all the dragons turned to Skin—all clothed in garments with black
and
red stripes so they were all equal.

Michael marveled at such powerful magick.

All four wizards of the Brehon stepped out of the cloud. They faced the snarling clans. Xavier, the Crystal Wizard, judge of Earthers such as trolls. Gideon, the Crimson Wizard, judge of Fae. Caderyn, the Shadow Wizard, judge of Mages. And his judge, Tristan, the Silver Wizard, judge and guardian to all Shifters.

They were lined up like old-fashioned gunfighters he’d seen in a western on television. All four glowing with power, broad-shouldered, and each standing more than six feet tall.

And very, very pissed off.

“You interrupted my honeymoon, my precious time alone with my beautiful bride…for this nonsense?!” Tristan roared.

“You are dragons! Brothers in the sky, and you squabble like children of humans! There will be NO MORE BLOOD SHED HERE TODAY!” Xavier’s deep voice sang out over the mountains and his eyes glowed a fierce white.

Michael shuddered and held Anna closer. He had never, in his time in Tir Na-nog, heard his master use that thundering tone of voice.

“Please, my liege, it was a fight to defend our lands.” Munroe’s voice cracked and he glanced at his king. “King Falmouth approved of it.”

“I cannot leave my people undefended, Tristan. I will not pass into the next life knowing they are vulnerable to night attacks from the sky as they sleep.” The king stood on shaking, thin legs and Michael felt a ripple of pity. The ruler of Clan Tyrith’s White Mountain compound was kissing death’s door.

“If you would stop raging at Clan Fury and strive for logic, you would see the black dragons never did have, nor will have, any intention of taking over your lands,” Gideon said in a deep, authoritative voice.

“Or that the seeds Michael took were for me, and that I intend to use them to aid you,” Xavier growled.

“Or that Michael, the one you accuse of stealing away one of your females, is Anna’s true mate,” rumbled Caderyn.

Tristan nodded, his eyes glowing a fierce blue. “They are destined to be together and no war, not even dragon flames, can keep them apart. I will end this, here and now. I call for a formal endorsement of this union of dragons from Clan Fury and Clan Tyrith, for Michael, son of Neal, and Anna, daughter of Barlow, to be forever mated.”

He looked at his fellow wizards. “So sayeth I, Tristan, the Silver Wizard. What sayeth the Brehon?”

“I approve this union,” Xavier said. He held out his right hand, which glowed bright white.

“I approve,” Gideon echoed. He held out his hand, glowing a deep crimson.

“I approve,” Caedryn agreed. The Shadow Wizard’s right hand shone like mist sparkling in the sunshine.

“I approve.” Tristan held out his hand, which pulsed with a silver glow.

All four wizards laid their hands atop each other and suddenly there was a tremendous whoosh, as if the very air shredded. Incandescent flames of many colors burst out from their joined hands, such power that Michael could not look at the wizards.

The surge of energy made his ears hurt and his eyes water. Several dragons gasped, and stepped backward. The flames died, and the wizards dropped their hands to their sides.

An endorsement by the four wizards of the Brehon. Michael gripped Anna, his throat thick with tears. “She’s dying. How wonderful that you endorse our union when my mate, my love, will not live. Because of your hatred, Falmouth!” He turned his head and pointed a shaking finger at the king, who looked shame-faced.

“And your hatred, Jasper! And that of your people, both of you. When will you learn that we are brothers in the sky? Not enemies?”

Tears blurred his vision as he hugged Anna. “Maybe someday, but it will be too late for my Anna. My beautiful Anna. All she ever wanted was love, and acceptance after she shifted into dragon. Not violence and hatred.”

Monroe looked stricken. “I am so sorry, Michael. I never meant to hurt her…I would never harm Anna.”

“Your foolhardy action and hatred may have cost Anna her life,” Xavier warned. “Dragons are special and possess great potential for good. You must learn to work together, not fight each other.”

Tristan approached him, and Michael held Anna tight. “Don’t touch her. Leave her alone. Let me have a few more minutes with her before you take her.”

The Silver Wizard’s gaze was filled with compassion. “I am not taking her to Tir Na-nog, Michael. Do not be afraid. I am going to heal her.”

He blinked hard, daring to hope.

Tristan gave a wry smile. “I am on vacation. My honeymoon. I have a bride to return to and a cradle to fill. I have no time to escort dragons to Tir Na-nog. Especially dragons who are destined for great things.”

Tristan’s hand pulsed with silver light once more. “Lay her on the ground and step back. I don’t want you to get hurt, and with this expenditure of power, you will.”

After Michael eased Anna to the ground, the Silver Wizard placed his glowing hand upon her bloodied, burnt stomach. A silver glow encased her body. Tristan frowned and the glow increased.

“She is more damaged than I realized, a whisper away from death. Dragonfire inflicts more damage than other wounds. I shall have to expend more power,” he murmured.

Please, please heal her. Let my Anna live.

The pulsing glow continued for a few minutes and then finally the light faded. Michael stared at his mate’s bared stomach.

Gone was the wound. In its place was soft, smooth skin. Tristan patted Anna’s stomach.

“Tough as steel now. Her transformation will continue, but healing her expedited the change.” He helped her to sit up.

Michael rushed forward, dropped to the ground and embraced her.

“Michael? What happened? The last thing I remember, I was hurting so badly. And then the pain vanished.”

He brushed a kiss against her forehead and then shrugged out of his shirt, helping her put it on to cover her nudity. “Tristan healed you, my love. Everything is going to be all right.”

After helping her to stand, he slid an arm around her waist. “What now?” he asked Tristan.

Tristan glanced at the clans. “There will be a formal truce, and the one who breaks it will be destroyed. No mercy. No questions. Utterly destroyed and banished to the Shadow Lands.”

Looking terrified, several dragons stepped back. The Shadow Lands were merciless to dragons who had died. There was a rumor that Drust, a dragon who had betrayed Tristan, lived there and ate other dragons for breakfast. And then they reanimated, only to be consumed again the following dawn by Drust’s snapping jaws.

“As for you and Anna…” Tristan nodded at the Crystal Wizard. “Xavier has acted upon my absence to find you a new home, if you wish to move.”

“Skylar and Sebastian of Clan Rhagos have graciously extended an invitation to both of you to join their clan in North Carolina. It will be neutral territory. You can hold your mating ceremony there as early as tomorrow. They understand how it is with true mates, and how eager you are to formally be unified.” Xavier folded his arms and swept the clans a severe look.

“They are welcome in our clan,” King Falmouth said.

“And welcome in ours,” added King Jasper.

Michael’s jaw tightened as he thought of the violence that nearly ended Anna’s life. He looked down at his future mate. “It is your call, my love. You still have living family in your clan.”

Her gaze turned sad as she looked at her father. “We cannot remain here, Michael. There will always be suspicion and a simmering hostility because you are a black dragon. Animosity cannot be vanquished overnight, not even with a formal truce. Maybe one day our children will return here. But not us.”

Very well. He kissed her, feeling her mouth turn soft and pliant beneath his. “We will be mated tomorrow at sunset at the Clan Rhagos compound.”

Epilogue

After making love with his new mate, Michael Vincent left her sleeping and went outside their new cabin to gaze at the stars.

Tonight they’d held a splendid feast at Skylar’s castle. They had invited both clans and nearly every dragon had accepted, celebrating their union as he formally took Anna to become his forever mate.

King Falmouth from Clan Fury and King Jasper from Clan Tyrith sat side by side with their queens, talking with animation about dragon clan problems. Anna’s parents sat on the groom’s side with their two younger daughters, beaming proudly. There was a good mix of red and black dragons, who all sat together.

The truce would hold, and the dragons were attempting to unify.

Monroe had kept apologizing profusely, to the point where Michael told him all was well, even though he still bore a slight grudge.

But Xavier was right. Dragons must learn to work together. So he forgave the bastard, and tasked him with harvesting the rest of the Lumen seeds the next full moon, upon Xavier’s request.

They had invited all the wizards, who politely declined, but sent wedding gifts. Xavier’s gift more than made up for his absence, for he’d freed Michael from his apprenticeship and any further service.

Sebastian and Skylar were generous hosts. They gave them their own quarters on the compound, far enough away from the castle to have privacy, yet close enough to feel like part of the clan.

Anna was delighted with their new clan. Here, on neutral territory, they would make their home. Michael’s skills in botany would prove useful and Sebastian had already hired experts to set up Anna’s computer so she could continue her web design business.

Soon Anna’s belly would be filled with his son. He eagerly anticipated making his mate pregnant. A baby would further solidify the bond between Clan Fury and Clan Tyrith.

Anna’s father would hold fast to the truce and when the dragonbaby arrived, Barlow would soften his heart and welcome his grandchild.