Her Mad Dragon (Dragon Guard Series Book 15) (10 page)

He let that information hang in the air. He felt Drago’s
concern but also the pain and frustration he still carried over losing one of
their own. Some wounds never heal, even after centuries. Samuel had been a
fierce Guardsman and a good man. There was nothing any of them could’ve done, but
that didn’t matter. Even all these years later, they still felt the loss.

“Well, hell, that’s not a good thing,”
was the
Assassin’s only response.

“No, it wasn’t, but at least he recognized me. It saved
my life, I’m sure of that. I…”

Drago’s chuckled stopped Maddox’s next comment. The mad
dragon was instantly irritated and growled,
“What now?”

“Nothing.”
The Assassin’s chuckle was growing towards
full laughter and that exasperated Maddox even more because he knew what the
jerk was laughing about.

Through gritted teeth the mad dragon growled,
“Just say
it. Get it over with. I’ve got better things to do than sit around chatting
with you ladies.”

Both his old friends burst out laughing but it was Drago who
said
, “Nothing really, Doxie. Just imaging you tied up and hanging from your
feet like a rabbit caught in a trap. What’s the matter? Too many years on the
mountain, Grandpa?”

“Ha. Ha. Ha. That’s right. Get it outta your system,”
Maddox
snarled
. “Because I promise you the fight of your life if I hear this shit
once you land.”

His old friends still snickered but at least both Drago and
Kayne had the decency to act repentant and even said sorry. Knowing that he’d
only bought himself a temporary reprieve but really tired of sitting around and
doing nothing, Maddox finished what he was trying to say before they both lost
their minds.

“What I was going to say…”
He glared at Kayne and
sent Drago a mental slug to the arm.
“Was that you need to be careful. One
of the properties the O’Baoills own isn’t far from here and in your flight
path. I don’t think they’re stupid enough to come after us but just be sure you
are shielded and only fly under the cover of darkness.”

“You know it,”
the Assassin answered
. “I’m
carrying precious cargo. We’ll take off at midnight and should see you before
the sun rises.”
There was a second of silence then Drago asked
, “Okay to
land in your backyard, Maddox?”

“Sure. Just watch out for Calysta’s garden.”

“Who would have ever thought it? You, worried about
flowers.”
The Assassin chuckled
. “I do believe that little witch of
yours might just be taming our mad dragon.”

“Shut the hell up or I’ll tell Alicia about the triplets
you ‘made friends with’ in Campsie Fells.”

Drago howled with laughter before saying,
“All right, all
right, you win, but remember we all have secrets…Doxie.”

“Just hurry the hell up and get here safely, ‘cause if
something happens to you, I’m only coming to save Alicia. I’ll just leave your
foul old ass.”

His insults only made the Assassin laugh harder and to make
matters worse, Kayne joined in. Shaking his head, the mad dragon stood and
growled.
“Just hurry up and be careful,”
he said
before turning
on his heel and heading into the house, leaving his old friends to their
hilarity
.

As he shut the sliding glass door he heard them chuckle.

“Damn, Maddox never changes…thank the Heavens. We’d be
lost without the old man.”

Chapter Eight

She’d gotten the call in the wee hours of the morning. Niall
was at the clinic and Annie, one of the refugees and a bear shifter, was on the
verge of calling her beast but scared of the magic flowing through her body
after all she’d suffered at the hands of Tariq’s scientists. Calysta had been
working with her since the day the Guardsmen rescued the delicate young woman
from O’Baoill’s underground torture chamber. The Priestess had nursed the
bear’s multitude of wounds, bruises, and burns, counseled her through the worst
of her nightmares, and prayed to the Goddess for a miracle of healing, so it
only stood to reason that Annie called for Calysta when she was afraid.

Maddox grumped and growled when Calysta crawled out of bed.
“Can’t it wait until closer to daybreak. I have to be up to greet Drago in a
few hours anyway.”

“No, Maddy, it cannot wait. She needs me. I have to go.”
She’d used her best mom voice and even huffed as she tied the belt on her long
silk robe around her waist and headed to the bathroom.

She bit the inside of her cheeks to keep from laughing out
loud when her mad dragon covered his face with a pillow and whined, “But, Callie…”
The fact that she, and only she, got to see the softer side of her mate made
all his grumping and growling all the funnier. Maddox was a special man,
whether he wanted to be or not, and she was honored to be spending eternity by
his side.

She kissed him on the top of the head since the pillow was
still over his face and called, “I love you, Maddy,” over her shoulder as she
jogged down the stairs and made a quick cup of coffee.

Caffeine is the only way I’m gonna make it through this
day…

Just about to take her first sip of the wonderful smelling
java, she jumped when Maddox appeared at her side, took the cup from her hand,
and swallowed a huge gulp. “Maddox!” She scolded. “You’re gonna burn your
tongue.” Taking the cup as he handed it back to her, Calysta raised one eyebrow
before grousing, “And that was
my
coffee.”

“I left you some,” he grinned.

Giving the cup a little shake, Calysta sighed, “Maybe a half
a sip.” She drank what was left and said, “Guess I’ll make a pot at the
clinic.”

Looking at her mate, she noticed he was dressed. “I thought
you didn’t have to be up until just before sunrise? That’s at least three hours
from now.”

Shrugging, her dragon answered while pouring a glass of
orange juice, “I don’t want you walking to the clinic alone in the dark.”

His consideration for her safety warmed her heart. No one
had ever worried about her, not even Kyra’s dad. She was the Grande Priestess,
presumably the most powerful witch in the world. Everyone considered her the
threat, not the other way around. But Maddox was different. He saw her as a
woman, his mate, the person he was meant to protect against all others and
Calysta had to admit, she liked the way it felt.

Standing on her toes, the Priestess placed her hand over his
heart and kissed his cheek as she murmured, “Thank you,
mo ghra’
.”

His heart beat sped under her palm and he pulled her close.
Looking into her eyes, he purred, “And I love you,
mo Priestess
, until
the sun no longer shines,” just before placing his lips to hers and kissing her
until they were both breathless and longing to return to bed.

As he set her feet back on the floor, Calysta feigned
irritation and swatted the top of his arm, “Unhand me, you beast, I have a
patient waiting.”

“I’ll show you a beast.” Her mad dragon gave an exaggerated
growl and in a flash was lavishing her neck with loud kisses and pretend
snarling. Calysta giggled like a school girl, her heart full of love for the
one the Universe had made just for her.

Life simply does not get any better than this…

When Maddox leaned back, chuckling and smiling from
ear-to-ear, the Priestess couldn’t help but tease him just a little more. “You
better be careful or I’ll turn you into…”

“…a toad. I know, I know.” Maddox chuckled, shrugging as if
he didn’t care one way or another.

Laughing out loud that he’d finished her favorite joke, she
corrected, “I was gonna say a slug,” she chuckled again, “but toad works.”
Patting his chest, she added, “I need to get going. You ready to escort your
mate to the clinic?”

   Doing a one-eighty, her mad dragon bowed and crooked his
arm. “Your wish is my command,
mo chroi’
.”

Placing her hand on his arm, she giggled, “Lead on, kind
sir.”

Their walk to the clinic was nice but fast paced. Calysta
felt guilty for wasting time playing around with her mate while someone needed
her but also loved any time she spent with Maddox, no matter how brief or
stolen among the many demands of their lives, so she pushed her guilt aside.
Walking through the double doors that led to the patient rooms at the side of
the huge building the dragons built for the betterment of their clan, the
Priestess turned to kiss Maddox goodbye but was surprised when he kept walking
and opened the second set of doors, motioning for her to go ahead of him.

“You’re coming in?” Calysta was surprised because after
being released, Maddox had been adamant that he would never set foot in the
clinic again.

“I need to see Niall for a minute,” he answered, rather
secretly.

“Oh,” she answered, waiting for him to explain and when he
didn’t, she asked, “What about?”

“Oh, sorry.” He grinned at her. “I thought I told you. I
need him to explain what he knows about the twins’ experiments and that damned
silver gas to Drago. Kayne was supposed to make sure Niall knew the Assassin
was coming home today but I want to make sure.” They stopped at the entrance to
Calysta’s office. She unlocked the door and pushed it open as he added, “I damn
sure don’t need any more surprises, ya know what I mean?”

“Yes, darling, I do.” And she did; they all needed a lot
less surprises. Putting her bag in the bottom drawer of her desk, Calysta
grabbed a few pens and a small notepad from another drawer then took her lab
coat from the coat tree in the corner.

Maddox helped her into the ‘uniform’ that Niall wanted
everyone to wear while they were working. He said with all the new shifters
mulling about, the staff needed to be easily identifiable. Calysta guessed he
was right but it reminded her of the ceremonial robes she used to be forced to
wear in the middle ages, just more garb to have to worry about.

Walking down the corridor hand-in-hand, Calysta smiled at
the younger Healers as they waved good morning. When she and Maddox reached the
end of the hall, she kissed her dragon goodbye and watched as he walked in the
opposite direction. Sighing, she zeroed in on the muscles in his well-toned
backside as they rippled and tugged at the denim of his jeans. For the first
time in her very long life, Calysta was literally jealous of a piece of fabric.
Her fingers tingled as she remembered what it felt like to caress and knead his
toned, hard body. She clenched her thighs as just a touch of arousal wet the
silk of her panties. Forcing herself to turn away, the Priestess breathed,
“They don’t make ‘em like that anymore and he’s all mine.”

Giggling as she made her way to Annie’s room, Calysta was
immediately pulled back to reality by the bear shifter’s spine-tingling shriek
of horror that echoed down the hall. “Noooooooo! Please, no. I can’t. I can’t.
I can’t.”

Racing into the room, the Priestess immediately recited a
Calming Spell and placed her hands on Annie’s arms. The bear immediately
stopped screaming but her fear was still palpable, filling the room with the
strong sickeningly sweet scent of rotten fruit. Looking into her deep brown eyes,
Calysta spoke in a low, melodic tone. “It’s okay, Annie. It’s your magic. Your
gift from the Universe. You’re safe. You’re with me and the dragons. No one can
hurt you here.” 

The bear visibly relaxed. It was then the Priestess could
feel the little bear’s magic fighting to be free. Could actually see the image
of Annie’s beast superimposed around the young woman. She was so close to the
change, Calysta could feel her muscles and tendons shaking with the need to
transform.

Pulling on her own magic, the Priestess murmured, “You’re
safe. You’re calm. Welcome your bear,” over and over.

Annie nodded and unknowingly began to recite the words along
with Calysta. Her eyes, already a deep chocolate brown, darkened, becoming a
bit more wild, a bit more ferocious. Her body trembled and warm, wonderful
magic filled the room.

Taking a step back, the Priestess kept eye contact with the
shifter as well as continued her chant. From one heart beat to the next the
petite young woman who’d appeared so frail became a perfectly majestic
three-hundred-pound brown grizzly bear. The walls shook and Calysta could hear
the pounding of feet running towards them as the bear gave a welcoming roar. It
was not aggressive or angry but the sound of pure joy that she was once again in
harmony with her magic and her human.

The door slammed open as Maddox raced in and grabbed Calysta
by the arm just as the bear lumbered towards her. Holding her ground, the
Priestess shook her head and spoke directly into her dragon’s mind.
“Let me
be, Maddy. I’m in no danger. She’s just happy. Watch.”

“Dammit, Callie,”
Maddox growled but stopped pulling
her arm and stood by her side.

The bear crossed the room and carefully rubbed against
Calysta free side while purring low in her throat. The Priestess smiled so
profoundly her cheeks hurt but she couldn’t stop the joy she felt that Annie
and her beast were finally reunited. It was nothing short of miraculous.

Pulling her arm from Maddox’s grip, the Priestess knelt down
until she was eye-to-eye with the bear and asked, “How about we take a walk
outside? Sound good?”

The bear clicked her tongue and nudged her head against
Calysta’s hand. The Priestess couldn’t be sure but thought she saw a smile on
the bear’s cute furry face. Taking the ursa’s amicable attitude as a yes,
Calysta turned around, intertwined her fingers with Maddox’s, and chirped,
“Let’s take Annie out back.”

Maddox sighed and shook his head. “So we’re walking…
the
bear
?”

Chuckling out loud, the Priestess nodded. “Yes, I suppose we
are.”

With her hand on Annie’s head and Maddox at her side, their
fit down the hall was tight but they made it to the backdoor as the staff and
remaining refugees clapped and cheered their congratulations. Calysta watched
as the bear puffed up with pride and her walk turned into a strut.

Annie immediately sniffed the night air, rubbed against
every tree in the vicinity, and gave a variety of grunts and tongue clicks to
let them know how happy she was. Niall appeared about a half hour into the
young bear’s ‘play time’ with a gallon bucket of salmon and another full of
fruits and berries.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment. Kept ordering fresh
provisions with the hopes it was going to happen soon,” the Elder Healer placed
the buckets next to Annie and backed away. Turning to Calysta, he patted her
arm and smiled. “Congratulations. You did great work in there.”

Smiling despite herself, the Priestess felt her cheeks warm.
“Thank you. I just followed my instincts and prayed…a lot.”

Nodding, Niall looked at Maddox and winked. “You’ve got a
special lady there, ya’ old bastard.”

Pulling Calysta to his side, her mad dragon wrapped his arm
around her waist and kissed her on the top of the head. “Don’t I know it, ya’
old asshole.”

The priestess shook her head at their strange form of
comradery and chuckled, “You two have a weird way of showing your affection.”

The two older dragons barked with laughter, scoffing,
“Affection.
Pfft
.” But Calysta could feel the mutual respect and
brotherhood between them, even if she didn’t completely understand their
mannerisms.

The three super beings spent a few quiet minutes watching
Annie devour the food Niall had brought to her before the Elder Healer looked
up and announced, “I have rounds to make before I head home to get some sleep
before Drago is ready to see me.” Shaking his head as he turned to go, he
mused, “I’m not as young as I used to be. These late nights are killing me.”

“That’s right,
old man
,” Maddox chuckled. “You better
go get your beauty rest. Heavens knows you need it.”

“Whatever, ya’ old pain in the ass,” Niall teased over his
shoulder as he headed back towards the clinic.

Calysta heard the squeak of the door as the Elder Healer
pulled it open at the same time that a low rumble sounded just beyond the tree
line. Annie raised her head, the fur running along her spine stood on end, and
a low growl emanated from her while she sniffed the air.

Niall was once again at Annie’s side, his posture no longer
that of a healer but a warrior. Maddox was also immediately on guard. He looked
to the sky as the Priestess felt him open his enhanced senses wide. Magic
filled the air. Calysta joined hers with her mate to give him added projection.
The vision of Drago preparing to land behind their house filled her mind’s eye
at the same time she saw it through Maddox’s internal vision. She could feel
the tension in her mate’s body, feel his dragon pushing against the confines of
his mind to be free and see the same strain in Drago’s beast as he also looked
towards the ominous growl coming from the opposite side of the lair.

“Get Annie and get back into the clinic,” Maddox ordered,
kissing Calysta on the cheek and gently pushing her towards the bear as he bent
down, looked the grizzly in the eye, and said, “Take care of her, please. I
love her so much it hurts.”

Annie grunted low in her throat and lumbered towards
Calysta, bumping her hand with her big bear head and clicking her tongue. Any
other time, the Priestess would’ve taken offense to being ordered around by not
only her mate but a grizzly bear, however, under the circumstances and after
Maddox’s heartfelt admission of love, she did as she was told. After all, she
had to make sure Annie was safe. It wouldn’t do for her to be injured again so
soon after finally recovering her magic and her beast.