Saved By Her Dragon (11 page)

“Yeah…and…?”

The deep breath and slow exhale Devon took made Anya tense,
preparing for some devastating revelation, but what he said made
her want to hug and strangle him simultaneously. “I am…we are…well
the men are…”
Huge sigh
. “Dragon shifters…”

Anya
laughed right out loud, all the fear and tension fading away until
she literally fell back on the bed, laughing uncontrollably. Tears
poured down her face and still, she laughed. It was just what she
needed to rid herself of all the bullshit that had bottled up since
her kidnapping. She laughed so long that Devon picked her up and
plopped in the chair beside the bed with her in his lap.

Trying
to get her laughter under control, she took a deep breath and
looked up. Devon was half grinning, half scowling, with one eyebrow
cocked higher than the other. His expression caused her to bust out
in a renewed set of giggles that she worked as quickly as possible
to get under control when his expression turned more scowl than
grin.

A staring contest immediately began, one that Anya had no time
for. Patience had never been a virtue she possessed nor had any
aspirations to acquire. She was and always had been more of an
instant gratification girl.
Damn! It’s good
to remember at least part of who I am!
The
situation at hand was no different than any other and she handled
it exactly the same way she always had…leap first, look later.
“What’s all the freaking out about? Think about it, Devon. I can
read auras…
see people’s
spirits
.” She stopped and thought for a
moment and then asked, “You do know what that means,
right?”

“I
thought I did…now I’m not so sure.”

“Okay, here it is, Reader’s Digest version and all. When I
look at people, I see
ALL
of them. I can see
you
and
your
dragon
.” She shrugged and waited for his
response.

“Oh…”
was all she got, so she kept explaining.

“And even if I couldn’t see everyone’s parts and pieces, Mom
and Pops were pretty powerful witches and very active in the
‘community’, so I’ve met a lot of people with special abilities.
Shifters are pretty easy to spot once you’ve hung out with a couple
dozen. The auras are different. Although I
will
tell you that I always wanted to
meet a dragon.” She waggled her eyebrows to ease the tension coming
from Devon. When he chuckled, she gave herself a mental high five
and then asked, “Was that why you were so worried?”

For a split second she thought he was going to have another
‘moment’, but he quickly schooled his features and answered, “Yeah.
It’s not every day someone just
knows
about us. I was afraid with all
you’ve been through it might somehow screw with your
recovery.”

Devon suddenly became very intense, gripped her upper arm, and
leaned forward until they were almost nose to nose. When he spoke,
she could feel the weight of his words to the bottom of her soul,
“There is absolutely nothing I would
not
do to keep you safe and happy,
Anya.
Nothing.
” He
slammed his mouth to hers, kissing her as if life itself depended
on that one kiss. She responded immediately and felt something
inside her click into place…something she hadn’t even known was
askew. All rational thought ceased when his tongue slid alongside
hers, igniting a wildfire that left her
breathless and holding onto the man before her for dear
life.

Anya was
sure she would melt from the heat of their passion but was
unwilling to move away from Devon. From one heartbeat to the next,
he released her arms, leaned back, and smiled a lazy smile, all the
worry of just moments before gone. She gave herself a mental shake
to make sure she hadn’t imagined the last few moments. But one
touch to her sensitive lips, still tingling from his kiss, coupled
with the feeling of pure excitement coursing through her veins,
assured her it had really happened. They stared at one another
until a knock at the door caused her to jump.

“Come
in, I know y’all have been pacing the hall the entire time,” Devon
called out, keeping her captive with his heated gaze.

The words were barely spoken when the door flew open
and
everyone
piled
into the room. Sydney was the first to speak, “See…I
told you
, Anya knew.
Sheesh, you guys freak out about
everything.”

Everyone
laughed until Kyra asked, “Do you remember everything, Anya? Any
holes in your memory?”

Anya turned and looked at the tiny witch while searching her
own mind. She was disappointed to find gaps of blackness remained;
all surrounding her abduction and the man the others referred to as
Andrew. She wasn’t sure if it was lingering effects of the strange
mixture of magic she had been bombarded with, or her subconscious
protecting her from the trauma. Either way, she
had
to remember and was certain Kyra
could help her do it.

“There
are
gaps. Mostly, about what happened at the mansion and that
guy…Andrew.”

She
cringed just a little when she said his name, feeling how much just
the mention of it upset Devon and everyone else in the room.
Although she really wanted to avoid upsetting the people that had
been so kind to her, the truth was the truth and it had to be
handled.

There
was no missing the look Devon threw over her shoulder and Anya
turned to see the exact same expression on the face of every man in
the room. It was one that promised retribution and violence. In her
heart, she knew that whatever had caused such hatred had to have
been horrific and the curious side of her really wanted to know;
but she had learned long ago that everything had a time and place
and later…much later would be better.

Siobhan
spoke and Anya acknowledged the calming vibes she was projecting
with the serene tone of her voice. The power of the healer was
immense and explained why Devon had so many of the same qualities
despite his warrior exterior. “Anya, if it is okay with you, we can
proceed with the memory ritual. Kyra and I have combined an Earthen
spell with a ritual of ancient dragon origin that will bring your
hidden memories to the surface. This extraordinary combination has
an added benefit of allowing you to put your recovered memories in
a metaphysical ‘box’ inside your mind, where you can then draw them
out and deal with them when you are ready.”

“I
remember Mom doing that a time or two with some of those she
helped. It’s definitely worth a try. Thank you.”

Devon tensed and Anya met his eyes. He spoke in her mind
before she could speak,
“Are you sure you
feel up to this? There’s no rush, Sweetheart. If you need time to
rest and gain your strength, take it. Mom and Kyra will
understand.”

She knew
he had her best interests at heart but felt like a part of her life
had been stolen and was ready to take back what was hers. “No, I
want to do this and the sooner the better,” she answered out
loud.

He
reluctantly nodded but his words reassured her, “If you’re sure,
then I’m sure.”

Anya
placed her hand on his cheek, trying to show him as much as tell
him how thankful she was for his support. “Thank you very
much.”

Devon
opened his mouth to speak, but his words were cut off when Aaron
teased, “Enough of the mushy shit, you two. I’m hungry and Sam says
we have to wait for Anya before we can eat. So chop chop.” He
snapped his finger for effect.

“Oomph,”
was all she heard before the
laughing began again. One glance and she laughed, too. Aaron was
rubbing his stomach and Kyndel was grinning from ear to ear, even
winked when their eyes met.
She and I are
gonna get along just fine.

“You
guys get the hell outta here and let Anya get dressed. We’ll be
right out,” Devon joked, but everyone took the hint and filed
out.

Aaron
was the last through the door, throwing a wink over his shoulder
and mouthing, “I’m starving.”

Anya
giggled as the door closed and immediately gasped. In one fluid
motion, she found herself standing, with Devon positioned behind
her, his arms around her waist. Her legs shook and her knees
threatened to buckle, but she refused to fall. His words at her
back strengthened her resolve, “Just relax and lean on me. Let your
legs get used to holding you again.”

Anya concentrated on first one leg and then the other pouring
as much energy as she could to her weakened limbs. The tremors
slowed and then stopped completely as she felt her strength
returning. She lifted her right foot, testing her balance, and then
placed it just inches in front of the other. Repeating the process,
she was completely thrilled when she was still upright. Devon’s
praise only added to her exhilaration. “You got this,
mo chroi’
. Let’s see if
you can make it to the end of the bed.”

Feeling like she could climb Mt. Everest, Anya nodded and took
first one step and then another, until she reached her destination.
She was panting like she had run a mile and sweat was rolling down
her back, but she was as happy as she could ever remember. Devon
helped her take a seat on the trunk at the end of the bed and knelt
in front of her. His hands on her thighs caused her pulse to race
and her already hardened nipples to rub against the soft cotton of
her nightgown. The corner of his mouth raised and she wondered if
he had any idea what
that
look did to her heart rate.

She
shivered at the sound of his voice. “You sit right here, and I’ll
go run you a bath. It’ll help your sore muscles and get you
prepared for a busy day.”

Unable
to speak past the lump in her throat, she nodded and watched as
Devon headed to the bathroom. Her eyes zeroed in on the incredible
display of male anatomy before her. The muscles in his well-toned
backside rippled and tugged at the denim of his jeans, and for the
first time Anya could remember, she was jealous of the worn fabric.
Her fingers tingled as she imagined them caressing and kneading
those toned, hard muscles. Her thighs clenched together as moisture
wet her panties.

Closing her eyes, she counted to ten and gave herself a quick
reality check.
He’s helping you, that’s
all. It doesn’t matter that he kissed you; it was just a heat of
the moment kind of thing. Stop thinking about him naked, it’ll only
get you in trouble.

His
voice stopped her inner monologue but what he said made no sense to
her lust soaked brain. “Lavender or citrus scent?”

“Huh?”

He
looked around the door frame and repeated, “Lavender or citrus
scent?”

When she
didn’t answer right away, he explained, “Kyndel makes bath oils
infused with healing herbs and…well, I guess you’d call it her
special brand of love.” He chuckled. “And I wondered if you
preferred lavender or citrus scent; she makes a lot of different
ones but those two suit you.”

She held back a girlie giggle at his continued attentiveness
to her needs and answered, “You pick. Whichever’s fine with
me.”
This man is gonna be the death of
me…but what a sweet way to go.

She
grinned and looked towards the window. A grandfather clock
somewhere beyond the door chimed twelve times and she gasped. Devon
was in front of her in a flash. “What’s wrong? What
happened?”

His hands moved up and down her arms, across her back, and
across the tops of her legs feeling for injuries and leaving tiny
little tingles in their wake that fueled the libido she was trying
so hard to control. “I’m fine. Sorry. I just
heard
what time it was and realized
everyone’s waiting for me so we can eat. We need to
hurry.”

Devon laughed, “I assure you Aaron has already conned them out
of food. There’s no way he waited longer than thirty seconds after
leaving this room, and I’m sure the others followed suit.
We
don’t miss meals around
here.”

“Are you
sure?” she asked, still worried.

He leaned forward, letting his forehead touch hers and looked
her in the eye, “I’m positive. Now let’s get you into the bath.
It’s
you
that needs
to eat. You need your strength to get back on your
feet.”

With no
further warning, she was in his arms again and being carried to the
bathroom. He sat her on the corner of a gorgeous roman style tub,
citrus scented steam rising from the wonderfully aromatic bubbles.
“Here are some towels,” Devon pointed to a wicker stool stacked
high with white fluffy towels.

“And
here,” he pointed to a matching stool on the other side, “is a
robe. I’ll be right outside the door, just holler when you’re done
and I’ll come escort you out.”

He turned to leave, and although she knew it was totally
inappropriate, she was a little disappointed that he didn’t even
try to sneak a peek of her naked.
Get over
it, Anya. Why would he want to see you naked?