Revealing the Dragons (Stonefire Dragons #2.5) (3 page)

Evie shrugged. “It’s better than you pacing until you wear a hole in the carpet.”

After living so long with Tristan, it took everything Mel had not to growl. “Yes, but get me too riled up and I’ll wake the twins. You’ll find out soon enough what it’s like to have two young children to care for and how precious it is when they take a nap.”

Evie’s eyes turned wistful. “I can’t wait.” Then her friend’s gaze turned devious. “Besides, Bram can take care of Murray during the day, for the most part, if I need him to.”

Mel sighed. “You understand he’s the clan leader, right, Evie? And he may, I don’t know, have things to do?” Ara snickered and Mel turned her gaze on her sister-in-law. “Are we entertaining you, sister?”

Arabella nodded. “You two are better than most human TV shows I watch. By all means, keep going.”

Melanie was about to switch the focus of her extra energy on Arabella when the front door opened and Tristan’s voice sounded down the hallway. “Melanie?”

“Tristan.” She rushed down the hallway and engulfed her mate in her arms. “Please tell me Bram didn’t have bad news.”

As her mate’s hand rubbed her back, she melted against him. His voice rumbled under her ear. “No, not bad news. It was just Bram being Bram.”

She pulled back and looked up at her mate. “That isn’t very helpful.”

Evie’s voice came from behind her. “He means Bram has a back-up plan, in case things go wrong.”

She swung her head at her friend, who was no doubt holding Murray as a form of protection to keep her from scolding too harshly. Mel’s brows came together. “You knew and didn’t tell me?”

Evie shrugged. “Bram is clan leader, which nearly makes me one as well since I’m his other half. I can’t share his secrets without his permission.”

Tristan rubbed her back a little harder. “She’s right, love.

Under normal circumstances, Mel knew Evie had information she couldn’t share. Yet her book’s release day was the culmination of nearly a year’s worth of work and Mel didn’t like being left in the dark.

She looked back up to Tristan’s brown eyes. “What is this back-up plan, then?”

“You aren’t going to like it.”

She slapped his chest. “Tell me.”

Tristan held up a folder in his free hand. “Inside is a list of safe places to flee on the Isle of Skye if we need it.”

Mel frowned. “Scotland? He trusts Finn that much?”

Tristan nodded. “Apparently so. Although, the real question is if things turn sour, would you even go?”

She stared into her mate’s eyes. They were full of curiosity and a touch of concern. “If it were up to you, we’d leave right now.”

Tristan rubbed smaller circles on her back. “Yes, but it’s not solely up to me. I promised you I would always try to ask first, so I’m asking.”

Not caring that she had an audience, Mel whispered, “I love you, Tristan MacLeod.”

He smiled. “That still doesn’t give me an answer, my little human. Would you go?”

“No, I don’t think I could.” Evie made a sound of protest and Mel looked over at her friend. “It’s my work that’s putting everyone in danger. It’s taken me a year to gain the acceptance of most of the clan. What do you think would happen if I brought a heap of danger to Stonefire and then fled?”

Evie’s face turned grim. “They would hate you more than ever before. Maybe even think you did it on purpose, to make them suffer.”

Tristan growled. “Anyone who would think that is an idiot. My mate hasn’t hurt anyone, ever. She’s too big-hearted.”

Mel smiled up at her mate. “Thanks for the support.” She looked back to Evie. “If it truly turns into an all-out battle, I’ll send the children away to safety. But my place is here with the clan. I have too many interviews lined up over the next few days that might help stem any acts of violence.”

Evie shook her head. “You have more faith in the media than I do.”

Mel snuggled into her mate’s chest. “To change the laws, we need the media on our side. So yes, I am optimistic because otherwise, I might be risking everyone’s safety for nothing.”

Evie readjusted Murray on her hip. “Right, then we’ll all try extra hard. Do you need to go over your talking points again?”

Before Mel could reply, Tristan squeezed her and said, “You need a rest, Melanie Hall-MacLeod. Did you eat breakfast while I was with Bram?”

Turning her head into Tristan’s chest, she mumbled, “No.”

Her dragonman growled. “I’m feeding you and then you’re taking a nap.”

Mel looked up. “What about Jack and Annabel?”

Tristan looked past her to Evie. “I’m sure you and Arabella can manage.”

Arabella’s voice carried from the living area. “You could ask me, brother.”

Tristan dropped his voice so only Melanie could hear. “Ever since she met that Scottish bastard, she’s become bloody demanding.”

Hiding her smile, Mel whispered, “I say good for her. And it could be worse; she could be mated to the Scottish leader.”

Her dragonman made a low noise in his throat. “Don’t tease me about that, little human. He’s the last person I’d want as a brother-in-law.”

She raised an eyebrow. “The last person? What about the leader of Skyhunter down south? I’m sure he’d be a fabulous relative to have.”

Tristan narrowed his eyes. “It would still be a close contest between who would be worse.”

Melanie laughed and then pushed against her mate’s chest. He released his hold and she ordered, “Right, let’s get something to eat before Arabella can escape. She loves her niece and nephew too much to leave with no one else to watch them.”

As Arabella started to protest, Mel took Tristan’s hand and ducked into the kitchen. Just as she’s expected, having her mate close helped chase her worries away.

Releasing her hand to open the fridge, Mel watched as Tristan made her a sandwich. The everyday act soothed her fears a tad. Maybe she’d over analyzed things and everything would turn out all right in the end. Who would try to kill her over a book? Sure, a few authors had been targeted over the years, but Mel wasn’t picking apart someone’s religious beliefs. All her book did was talk about matings, celebrations, and clan structures.

Yet a small part of her knew someone would take offense. She only hoped it was an extreme minority. The dragon hunters already targeted them. Stonefire didn’t need any more enemies to watch out for.

Chapter Three

The next day, Tristan stood at the foot of the stairs waiting for his mate. Little had been said in the human media outlets about the release of her book. He wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing, although it worried Mel to no end.

However, she had her first press conference in half an hour. That would be the first real test.

His human descended the stairs, wearing black trousers and a light green top that showed off her eyes. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, his gaze lingered on her chest before meeting her eyes. “That top is too tight. I don’t want other males staring at your breasts.”

Mel rolled her eyes. “This is probably one of the most conservative things I’ve worn in a long time.”

His dragon huffed.
Her arse is highlighted too. I don’t like it.

His mate sighed. “I see your flashing dragon eyes. Tell him I’m wearing this and that’s final. These clothes make me feel important, and I desperately need the confidence.”

Tristan snorted. “Right, love, you lack confidence.”

She poked him in the chest. “Sometimes, yes, I do. And since I’m about to represent our entire clan, I think you’d be a little more supportive.”

“Agreeing with everything you say or do is boring. You wouldn’t like it.”

She sighed. “You’re right, but matching wits with you is a wonderful stress reliever.”

“So does that mean I have a free pass right now to tease you?”

“Most definitely not.” The frown between her brows eased. “Are the twins still asleep?”

“Yes. Samira and Evie are in the living area, keeping an ear open.”

“Where’s Arabella?”

He shrugged. “She had things to do.”

Tristan agreed with the look of confusion in his mate’s eyes. Arabella spent most of her free moments with her niece and nephew. Maybe the humans gathering in front of Stonefire’s main gate for the press conference had spooked her. He only hoped it hadn’t reversed any of his sister’s progress.

His mate took the last step down and patted Tristan’s chest. “I bet Ara’s afraid of how things could change. If humans and dragon-shifters eventually learn to interact freely with one another, she might feel the need to hide away again.”

He growled. “I’m not about to let that happen.”

“Me neither, but it explains her absence.” Mel walked toward the living area. “I really wish she’d take up the foster position with Lochguard. A break from the clan might be good for her.”

Tristan kept pace with his mate. “If she decides to go, then I’ll allow it. But I’m not about to encourage it.”

Mel glanced at him with raised brows. “Allow her? Tristan, love, remind me to tell Arabella about that the next time I see her.”

“Aren’t conversations between mates private?”

They reached the living area and Evie was grinning. “Maybe, but we heard it too. I’m going to make sure I’m here when Melanie tells your sister what you said. I might even bring some popcorn.”

His dragon growled.
There are too many females in this house. Let’s hurry.

I couldn’t agree more.

Tristan touched Mel’s upper arm. “Say goodbye to the twins and let’s go. Bram’s waiting for us.”

Moving to the playpen used as a crib, Mel shot him a look. “I’m ready five minutes early, so hold your horses.”

He fought a smile and lost the battle once Mel brushed the cheek of each of their babies in turn. He was a lucky dragonman, and he knew it, too. He only hoped the world would change for the better after the press conference instead of for the worse.

~~~

Standing behind the front gates of Clan Stonefire, Melanie struggled to keep her jaw from dropping. Bram had agreed to host a press conference just outside their land, but she had never expected the sight before her eyes.

There had to be at least a hundred people standing near the stage with the podium. Sure, the sunny July day was part of the reason, but the other had to be curiosity. She refused to believe it was to express their hatred or disdain, no matter how much Tristan seemed to think it would rear its ugly head sooner rather than later.

Bram stood to her left and Tristan to her right. Bram looked down at her. “Kai has his Protectors in position. So, are you ready, lass? Say the word, and we’ll send them packing.”

For a split second, Mel wanted nothing more than to hide away in her cottage with her mate and two children and forget all about the outside world. But what sort of life would that be? The thought of her children never embracing or getting to know their human halves helped chase away some of her nervousness. She was doing this partly for them, Murray, and all of the other dragon-shifter children in the world. They deserved a chance to live without daily fear of what could be done to their parents or even themselves when they reached maturity. Dragon-shifters should be admired for much more than the healing properties of their blood.

Not only that, but if things went well, she might finally have the chance to invite her family and friends to visit her. She loved her life on Stonefire and was grateful technology allowed her to communicate with her family, but sometimes she missed talking face-to-face with other humans about her old life.

None of that will happen unless you grow a spine and stand strong, Hall.
Straightening her shoulders, Mel answered, “I’m ready. Let’s get this over with.”

Bram nodded. With Stonefire’s leader on one side and her mate on the other, Mel felt safe. The two dragonmen would never allow anything to happen to her.

As they moved past the gate and toward the stage, the crowd fell quiet. The silence caused her stomach to churn and her palms to sweat.

Once Mel stood behind the podium, she forced down the butterflies in her stomach and took a deep, fortifying breath. Careful to project her voice since there wasn’t a microphone, she addressed the crowd. “Thank you all for coming. My name is Melanie Hall-MacLeod and I’m the author of
Revealing the Dragons
. As much as I’d like to answer all of your questions, there simply isn’t enough time in the day, especially as a mother of young twins.” One or two women in the crowed smiled. That was better than nothing. She continued, “I’m going to give priority to those who have actually read the book. If you ask about my personal life, you lose the privilege of asking questions and I’ll move on to the next person. Now, who’s first?”

Twenty hands shot up as everyone asked questions at once. Picking one of the women who had smiled at her comment, Mel pointed. “Yes? What’s your question?”

The rest of the crowd fell silent. At least, they were well trained. The woman with glasses and brown hair asked, “Your exposé makes the dragons appear almost human, except for a few minor differences. How do you respond to those who say your book is fiction and shouldn’t be taken as truth?”