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

Well, at least I won’t be in the doghouse by myself…

“Yes, we can do it, but…”
she paused, said something
to Della that he missed completely, and then added, “
After
the wiccan
ceremony. The Council is due to arrive tomorrow morning and we are nowhere near
ready.”

Mentally kicking himself for at least the twentieth time for
forgetting they had another mating ceremony, Maddox quickly responded,
“You
got it
, mo chroí,
I’ll let Drago know.”

“Thank you, darling. See you soon. Love you.”

“Mo ghrá thú,” he answered, then to his old friend he said,
“Drago,
Callie and Kyra agree that it is possible but it will have to wait until after
our wiccan wedding and the Council leaves.”

“Alicia was just telling me the same thing.”
Maddox
could hear the impatience in the Assassin’s voice.
“And she is right. Your
mate is important in her community and they need to be allowed to celebrate
your union just as we did. I can wait.”
Then he chuckled.
“Heavens
knows, waiting may even help us out. Kyran will get comfortable and let his
guard down.”

“You are so right,
mo chara
.”

“Awwww, lookie there, it’s a love fest,” Rory snickered.

“Shut the hell up,”
both Drago and Maddox lovingly
growled as they reached the front door of the clinic.

The next few hours were a blur of bandages, debriefings, and
more cups of coffee than he could count, but at the end of it all, his respect
for Calysta, Niall, and all the others who consistently dealt with the sick and
afflicted soared. Brannoc, Lennox, and Declan found a kindred soul in the
gorilla, Simon. He’d been a software engineer before being captured and was
able to help fill in some of the blanks concerning what the O’Baoill’s called
the Messenger.

The hunters were careless while experimenting on all the
shifters, treating them like nothing more than animals and ignoring their human
side. It was awful to think about but in the long run, it was going to be one
of the vital components to taking them down…forever. Visions of Eve dying by
his hand danced through his mind. Hate was not something he enjoyed feeling but
in her case, there was no more fitting emotion available.

Making his way into Simon’s room, he listened to the ongoing
conversation, surprised at how soft spoken the six-foot-seven, musclebound,
three-hundred-and fifty-pound man with salt and pepper hair and hands that even
in human form resembled paws was. “They just left the plans up on all the
monitors when we were in lab. One of the technicians in the lab even made a
joke when Riley, he’s the bear and has a PhD in quantum physics, was looking at
the screen. The jerk literally said ‘do you read, boy?’” The big man snorted
sarcastically before adding, “He asked in a voice like he was talking to a
small child. I thought the bear was going to lop the scrawny scientist’s head
off.”

“You guys deserve medals for all you’ve been through,” Brann
commented while he typed on his laptop.

A sad look came over the gorilla’s face as he murmured, “I
just want them to pay for all our brothers and sisters who didn’t make it out
alive.

Silence filled the room. Maddox could feel everyone
contemplating all the lives lost at the hands of the O’Baoill family, but it
was Declan’s words that rang true, “Eve will pay with blood.”

Simon nodded then quickly changed the subject, “Here,” he
reached for Brann’s computer. “It’ll be quicker if I just draw the schematics I
can remember then we can match them to the units you’re taking out of us.” He
immediately began typing while adding, “We all have different implants
depending on our genetic makeup and what they ultimately wanted to force us to
do.”

A noise in the hall had Maddox spinning around just as a
tall burly man with a full beard and knowing brown eyes entered the room. He
had an air of ‘don’t fuck with me’ all around him but his sideways grin eased
the tension and when he spoke, it reminded the mad dragon of a country singer
he’d met in his younger days.

“Hey, y’all. I’m Will. This here’s my brother, Jake.” He
pointed to a smaller, almost carbon copy of himself sans the beard.

Jake had a well-trimmed goatee and smiled with his whole
face. Stepping around his older brother, he held out his hand to Maddox and in
a low, sincerity-filled voice said, “Thank you very much for everything. Oh,
and in case you couldn’t tell,” his easy chuckle filled the room, “we’re
wolves.” Then to Simon he said, “Riley’s in surgery.” The young wolf pointed to
the back of his neck. “You’re next and then it’s our turn.” Jake motioned to
his brother and himself before putting his hand back out.

Shaking with the younger lupine, Maddox grinned, “Maddox
here and the three chuckleheads over there bothering Simon are Brannoc, Lennox,
and Declan.” Brann and Lenn looked away from the laptop screen long enough to
smile and wave while Dec simply threw up his hand and grunted. The mad dragon
went on, “Anything for our brothers in arms. And I must say I like this shape,”
he pointed his finger at Jake’s face and laughed. “To the scary wolf man look.”

“Me too. That half transformed super wolf shit is for the
birds,” Will answered for the both of them over the mad dragon’s shoulder. Then
to the others, “Whatcha ya’ll lookin’ at?”

“Simon’s recreating what he can remember of the plans for
the Messenger,” Brann answered, scooting to the side to make room for the wolf.

“When you’re done, Jake and I can have a go at it,” Will
mumbled as he watched the gorilla click keys.

“Will’s in the geospatial field and I’m a data modeler,”
Jake interjected as he squeezed in between Dec and Lenn, his southern twang
making Maddox smile.

Watching five huge men crowd around an even larger man who
was lying in a hospital bed with a computer on his lap was more than the mad
dragon could take.

When did I get so old?

“Oh, about a hundred years ago if I remember correctly,”
Kayne teased.

“I really wish you’d stay the hell outta my head,” Maddox
grumbled.

“And I really wish you’d shield your thoughts better,”
the demi god chuckled. “Up for a drink. Max and I are hiding out back and
there’s a cold beer with your name on it.”

“Sounds good. Be there in five.”

His goodbyes were met with mumbled ‘See ya laters’ and ‘nice
to meet ya’s’ without much eye contact. Chuckling at how engrossed they all
were in something he knew nothing about, the mad dragon headed out the door and
down the hall, his mouth already watering at just the thought of a nice cold
beer. Turning the corner, he stopped short when Calysta exclaimed,
“Son of
a…Maddy come quick. The Council’s at the front gate and I’m covered in blood.”

Chapter Thirteen

Calysta hadn’t thought it was possible to love Maddox any
more than she already did, but after watching him expertly handle not only the
Earth Witch’s Council’s arrival but also Agatha’s air of condescension and
bitchiness without growling or grumbling in the slightest, she literally had
stars in her eyes. He was the perfect mate, even if she was the only one who
knew about his soft underbelly. It made it all the more special; something he
kept just for her.

She’d hurried through finishing up at the clinic, left
instructions for everyone, grabbed Della and headed home, growing more anxious
with every step about what she would find when she got there. The Council was
not known for their tact or consideration for anyone who wasn’t a witch. They
considered all other ‘special’ races to be subpar and at times, even tried to
discount their magic.

Of course, they’d never met Maddox MacQueen. The Priestess
chuckled as she imagined the look on Agatha and her lackey, Vareck’s, face when
they tried to read Maddox’s mind and got a taste of his powerful dragon magic. It
was going to be worth the hassle of having to deal with them just to see them
put two and two together and realize that between her mating with Maddy and
Kyra’s mating with Royce, their bid to overthrow the St. Kroix line had
officially gone up in smoke.

“What are you smiling about?” Della asked as they hurried
along.

“Just wishing I was a fly on the wall when Aggie gets a load
of my dragon,” Calysta snickered.

Giggling as well, Della agreed, “I’ve been thinking that
ever since you said you sent him to meet them. Maddox’s size alone will have
Vareck and Odgar standing on their tip toes and puffing out their chests.”

Laughing out loud, Calysta wheezed, “Oh, Dell, I hadn’t
thought about their Napoleonic complexes.” Grabbing her sister’s hand, the
Priestess started to jog. “We have to hurry. I don’t want to miss this.”

Running across the large patio stones she and Della had
placed throughout the garden, Calysta quietly hurried into the house, turned
and placed her index finger to her lips to let her sister know they were trying
to be sneaky, and crept through the dining room towards the living room.
Standing just around the corner, she heard Agatha ask, “And what is your
position within your clan?” in a haughty, dismissive tone.

It was hard not to laugh out loud at the thoughts rolling
around Maddox’s mind, but she had to give him credit for answering without
missing a beat and with his usual air of confidence. “I am considered an Elder
among my kin, not part of the governing body by my own choice, but I do have a
say in the decision making. I also oversee all aspects of the training of our
young Guardsmen.”

He’d said it just as Calysta had asked him to when they’d
been preparing for this visit. It wasn’t that she answered to anyone. She was,
after all,
their
Grande Priestess. They answered to her but…they all
possessed the ability to make Calysta’s life extremely difficult if they chose
to and for the most part, creating grief for her was always Agatha’s go-to
choice.

“I see.” Agatha was gearing up for something. Calysta wasn’t
sure what but she was certain it wasn’t going to be pretty.

“Time to save the day, sister of mine,” she whispered to
Della.

“Okay, but you forgot your cape, Superwitch,” her younger
sister giggled.

“But I betcha I can find my broom in a pinch,” Calysta
snickered before rounding the corner and walking in as if she’d just arrived.

 “Hello, all,” Calysta chirped, giving her mate a quick
wink. “Sorry to have kept you waiting.” She looked around the room at the four
women and two men, all sporting scowls and looking down their noses at her
disheveled appearance, and decided to remind them right up front who she was
and that they were in her home. Furrowing her brow and feigning surprise, she
asked, “Solomon hasn’t arrived yet?”

Her question was met with gasps, followed by looks of
surprise and then a few of fear at the mention of the oldest and wisest among
them. Solomon MacAnBaird led the Witch Army against both the Catholics and the
Protestants between 1580 to 1630, also known as the Darkest Days. He tirelessly
continued to rescue witches and those accused of witchcraft for many years
until he was able to reach an accord with royalty. Together with the greatest
leaders of the day, Solomon was instrumental in writing and helping pass the
Witchcraft Act of 1735 that put an end to the needless hunting and torturing of
witches all over the world.  

Solomon was a great witch, admired by the Earth Witch and
Wiccan Community as a whole, and feared by those who dared to persecute
witches, be they human, special, or even another witch. But most important of
all, he was Calysta’s godfather, her mentor, and had raised both she and Della
after their parents were killed in an unexplained accident, leaving her in the
seat of power at a very young age.

“Ssssolomon is ccccoming?” Agatha stuttered.

Score one for the home team.

“Yes,” Calysta happily answered and then, “Oh poo, did I
forget to tell you when we last spoke? I do apologize. It’s just been so busy
around here.” The Priestess shook her head and swatted the air. “It must’ve
slipped my mind. Solomon will be officiating our vows.”

She grinned, wrinkled her nose, and gave a peppy shrug of
her shoulders as Maddox said,
“Have I told you lately how much I love you?”

Trying hard not to chuckle or give any indication she and
her mate were speaking, Calysta acted worried and asked, “There’s no problem
with that, is there? He is, after all, ordained and more than qualified and,”
she leveled her gaze and added just a bit of steel to her voice, “the man who
raised me.”

Agatha immediately began to shake her head then squeaked out
a barely audible, “No problem at all.”

Clapping her hands together and plastering on a sickeningly
sweet smile, Calysta cheered, “Great. Now that that’s all settled. How about I
show you to the guest house where you can freshen up and get ready for dinner.
Maddox insisted on having it catered. Isn’t he a dear?” She looked at him and
winked. “It will be ready promptly at nine, which gives us all a little under
an hour to get presentable.” She chuckled for good measure while motioning
towards the sliding glass doors at the back of the room.

Begrudgingly, her ‘guests’ rose from their seats, picked up
their bags, and followed her out the door, through the well-lit garden, and
into the small carriage house Maddox and the O’Reilly boys had remodeled just
for this occasion. She, Della, and Kyra had spent a week decorating to be the
perfect little country cottage. Calysta had no doubt Agatha and the others
would hate it. They much preferred haughty French provincial. It warmed the
Priestess’ heart to know they would hate everything from the wreath on the door
to the sheets they had to sleep on.

Opening the door, she stood to the side and smiled, “Welcome
to your home away from home. Make yourselves comfortable. See you at nine.”
Closing the door before anyone could say anything, Calysta raced back across to
the main house, through the sliding glass doors, up the stairs, and into
Maddox’s arms, laughing like a schoolgirl.

Holding her tight, her dragon grinned and snickered, “I’m
assuming all went well.”

Kissing him soundly, Calysta pulled back and laughed out
loud. “Depends on who you are.” She slipped out of his arms and headed for the
shower. “From my perspective, it went perfectly.”

The rest of the evening went just as well. The caterers
arrived right on time. Solomon got there as they were sitting down to eat and
Agatha looked as if her head might explode for the entire evening.

The crowning jewel of the event was when the old bitty
herself tried to throw Calysta a curveball. “We saw the aftermath of a battle
as we flew over. I hope it didn’t ruin the location of your ceremony. From the
pictures you sent, it looked as if your ‘little prayer garden’ had been
destroyed.”

The Priestess quickly placed her hand over her mate’s and
gave him a quick squeeze as she felt his need to jump across the table and
throttle her oldest nemesis.
“I’ve got this, Maddy,”
she assured before
answering Agatha out loud. “Oh, Aggie dear, are your eyes giving you fits
again? Poor dear.” She gave a little pout. “The one you saw on your way in was
just one of many gardens here at the lair.” Calysta looked at Maddox, who she
could feel was barely controlling his temper and smiled. “We have chosen the
one by the lake with the most magnificent view.”

She wanted to laugh out loud at Agatha’s uncontained
shudder. It was a well-known fact that while Calysta had control over all the
elements, Agatha had only ever mastered fire, and because of that avoided all
natural bodies of water like the plague. The Priestess hadn’t purposely picked
the Garden of Serenity because of her old foe’s aversion to water. It had been
the place of her dragon ceremony and she only thought it right that they
perform the witch one there as well. The fact that it made Aggie extremely
uncomfortable had simply been a happy coincidence…a
very much
enjoyed
happy accident.

“That sounds lovely, Calysta,” Solomon’s baritone voice
resonated through the room. Without even trying, he oozed power when he spoke.
“I cannot wait for nightfall tomorrow.”

The grandfather clock in the living room began to chime as
Calysta’s mentor stood, “And as it is almost midnight, I must say thank you for
a wonderful evening and retire for my evening meditation.”

Maddox was immediately on his feet. He pulled out Calysta’s
chair and stood by her side as she hugged Solomon good night then carried her
godfather’s bags to his room. Turning back to her guests, the Priestess wasn’t
surprised to see them all standing and making their way towards the living
room. She was, however, caught off guard when Bedelia, one of the youngest on
the Council, stayed behind.

The short, round, rosy-cheeked witch smiled broadly and
wrapped her arms around Calysta as she congratulated her in her high-pitched
squeaky voice. “Oh, Priestess, I am so happy for you. May the Goddess bless you
and your mate with good fortune, long life, and endless love.”

“Come, Bedelia,” Agatha ordered from the other room, but the
little witch held on for a minute longer, adding, “You need to know how much we
all love and support you,” before scampering off.

“Thank you, Bedelia,” Calysta called after the younger
witch.

From over her shoulder, Della mused, “Well, now, wasn’t that
interesting.”

Turning to face her sister, Calysta nodded. “It certainly
was.” Taking a deep breath, she shrugged. “But we have lots to get done and
only a few hours to do it. Is the car loaded and the girls on the way to meet
us?”

“Aye, aye, Captain,” Della giggled as Maddox walked into the
room.

“Need any help?” he asked with a sly grin on his face.

Waggling her finger at him, Calysta teased, “Tut, tut, Mr.
MacQueen, you’ve had your fun. You planned the first ceremony. Now, it’s mine
turn.” Raising up on her tiptoes, she gave him a quick kiss and said, “Behave
yourself. We’ll be back before sunrise. Leftovers are in the fridge.”

“I love you,” he called as she grabbed her bag.

“And I adore you,
mo Dragon mheabhair
,” she answered
as she shut the door.

Kyra, Olive, Audrey, Alicia, and Claire were waiting when
Calysta and Della pulled up with a car full of decorations and two bottles of
wine. The Priestess got out of the car, held up the wine, and said, “The sooner
we get done, the sooner we get to drink.”

Kyra jogged towards her, grinning from ear to ear and with a
fist pump in the air, exclaimed, “Let’s do it. After a day like today, I need a
drink or three.”

“Hell, yeah,” the other four ladies cheered and began
unloading the car.

It took just a little over four hours for the six of them to
transform the Garden of Serenity into the perfect venue for the ceremony where
she would pledge her everlasting and undying love for her dragon in the way of
her people. She couldn’t wait to see the entire meadow alight with the
two-hundred-and fifty white candles she and the girls had carefully positioned
and decorated with every blue flower they could beg or borrow from a fifty-mile
radius.

The Prussian blue and white ribbons gently draped in, on,
and all about the natural shrubbery were magnificent, as were the two huge
white urns overflowing with lilies that stood on either side of the tall white
archway positioned in front of the fountain where she and Maddox would recite
their vows. Tears filled her eyes as she looked at the spectacular princess cut
aquamarine and diamond ring her dragon had slipped on her finger right after
they’d been blessed with their markings from the Universe. She touched her
pocket to make sure the Celtic knot wedding bands she had made from platinum
and adorned with diamonds were still there. It would be one of the proudest
moments of her life to put
her
ring on Maddox’s finger for all the world
to see.

They finished the wine in record time and after looking at
their handy work one more time, piled in the car. Once the girls were all
safely dropped at their homes, Calysta and Della drove home, dragged themselves
to bed, and slept until noon, only awakened by their alarms ringing and a knock
at the door.

Throwing on her robe, she noted the absence of her mate but
scurried down the stairs to end the persistent knocking threatening to make her
head explode. Growling, “Would you
please
stop that infernal knocking?”
while throwing open the door, she quickly apologized as Niall grinned and gave
her a finger wave.