To Have & to Hold (14 page)

“You do that and get back to me. I
’
ll be right here. I appreciate all you
’
ve done for me and for
Cate
. I welcome you here any time. But I
’
m not leaving. This is where I belong.
Beside my wife and my child.”

“I can
’
t officially sanction your decision. You understand my position? It
’
s simply not done. Most dragon mages only have one child, and the confinement is purely matriarchal. Males may guard the homestead, but they
’
re not allowed in the inner sanctum for those five years. And by inner sanctum, I mean their wives
’
homes and their beds.”

“Yes, I understand. I won
’
t be honoring that tradition. I won
’
t miss the first five years of my son
’
s life. My humanity is too ingrained, too strong to neglect my wife or child for five years. We
’
ve already lost too much time. I won
’
t sacrifice a single second more.” He watched David, looking for a crack in his poker face.
A sign of weakness or betrayal.
He didn
’
t see it. “And we both know there
’
s still a Dignity threat to
Cate
and the baby. I won
’
t sacrifice them.
Or any of my hoard.
Ever again.
Not even for the Consortium.”

And he sure as hell w
ouldn’t tell David it was touch-and-
go with
Cate
. She’d come back.
She’d live.

Grayson handed David the small topaz stone he
’
d picked up off the floor after Michael
’
s attack.
A hoard stone.
Each hoard possessed its own signature stone. The dragon who
’
d betrayed Grayson by giving Michael
hoard
magic
k
used
topaz as his energy stone.

“Where did you find this?”

“Michael carried it.”

“You
’
re sure?”

“Absolutely.
It
’
s all that was left of him. I expect you
’
ll let me know who I need to thank for this mess with
Michael?
”

“Grayson.”
David rubbed his neck. “You can
’
t be serious. You can
’
t take on the Consortium.
European or American.
It just isn
’
t done.”

“Well,
neither,
apparently is stealing from hoards. But someone is doing it. And I
’
d suspect
this is all tied together. F
igure out
who
that stone belongs to and let me know. You know the rules. If my hoard is challenged, the challenge can
’
t go unanswered.”

David closed his eyes,
then
shook his head in exasperation.
“Right.
I know. This will take time.
And tact.
We need answers.
Proof.
There are over two hundred natural gemstones. And the list of which hoard possesses which stone is a highly guarded secret.”

“Why?”

“Each stone carries its own
magickal
properties, powers, and level of strength. The Consortium has always felt if that knowledge
were
public, a natural pecking order would form, and the Dignity might not be better for the dragon who ended up on top.”

“Does the dragon who steals a hoard also take on that hoard
’
s energy stone?”

David turned away and looked out over the back yard. The silence stretched so long Grayson didn
’
t think the dragon mage leader would answer him. “Yes. He
’
s gaining strength.”

“How many?
How many hoards has he stolen?”

“Five total. Each energy stone carries a different level of strength depending on the grade of the gemstone. He
’
s only collected minor stones thus far.”

“So, what?
Diamond is at the top?”

“Not necessarily. Dragon hoards date back thousands of years. In some cases hoard stones have been passed down from generation to generation. You are from a long line. I
’
d assume your stone is very old and very valuable.
And extremely powerful.
The gemstones
humans
value today may not, in truth, carry the same weight in Dignity terms.”

“I want a name. I need to know who within the Dignity betrayed me. Who dared to challenge my
hoard.
”

“All right.
Consider it done. I
’
ll get back to you as soon as I can. Just be smart. I wish you wouldn
’
t stay here. It goes against everything I believe. Everything I
’
ve known to be true about dragon mages.” David turned. He rolled his shoulder muscles, angled his chin first one way, then the next. “But I can
’
t force you to leave. Not now. Not knowing this is possibly a bigger problem. I
’
d recommend you maintain a separate residence nearby.
As long as nothing draws counci
l attention, they
’
ll be none the wiser. They
’
ll think you
’
re in compliance with Dignity rules. But you must give me your word that if you even feel a hint of a struggle to harm them that you
’
ll
hightail
it out of here
,
remain apart
, and call me
.”

“You have my word. I will not gamble with their lives.”

They gripped forearms and a bright orange
magic
k
al
energy in the shape of a dragon twined around them, spiraling from Grayson
’
s elbow to David
’
s.
The standard mage oath.
T
hey were
now
bound by
magic
k
.

David released Grayson
’
s arm and stepped back. “There is something I need from you. And I think it will give Consortium leaders answers that
will keep them happy for now and e
xplain why you
’
re still here, near your wife.
It’ll
provide you
a viable venue
to trap the person responsible for these mage attacks. If he
’
s targeting children of mages to gain access to the hoards, you
’
ll be able to draw him out.”

“Name it. I owe you my life. Without your help, neither
Cate
nor I would be alive.”
Cate
was a fighter.
He had to believe she’d be okay.

“We need a dragon school here in North America. The only school in the world is
Chadsworth
’
s
in England.”

“You want me to start a dragon academy here?”

“Yes, this area is perfect.
Rural.
Plenty of land.
Locals who won
’
t ask too many questions.
Airspace to roam.
Lakes to swim.
It
’
s the ideal location. You and
Cate
could run it together. I
broached the subject with her
a couple of months ago
. She wouldn
’
t commit to anything beyond funding the project. She holds a masters degree in Education Administration. Maybe now, with your influence, she
’
ll take on the administrative duties of running the school, become headmistress. Besides, it will give you something to keep you busy and focused. And out of
Cate
’
s
hair.”

He doubted anything could keep him away from
Cate
ever again if he didn
’
t allow it.
But a school for dragons?
Grayson considered the possibility. He
’
d learned a lot over the past several years. And he
’
d never want anyone to go through the hell he
’
d experienced alone. He could teach others.
Maybe.
If
Cate
was willing.
“I
’
ll think about it. But I
’
d want the school to be open to dragons from hatchling to middle age--I don
’
t want late changers ignored or assassinated, as I fear they have been over the years.”

David inclined his head in acknowledgment of his concession.
“Agreed.
Talk to
Cate
.
Let me know your decision.”

“Besides, if there is a Consortium conspiracy afoot, what better way to discover it than to open an academy that caters to their children? If it
’
s exclusive enough, it may even draw our thief out into the open. Money equals power, no matter if you
’
re human or dragon mage. Add to that
magickal
powe
r and you have the perfect lure
.”

“Your forensic computer skills may help you find who provided Michael with dragon magic before I can gain access to the list of hoard stones. James was
a loose
cannon. I
’
m sure he left a trail a mile wide.
You’ll
have the Hoard Snatcher cornered in no time.”

“That
’
s what you
’
re calling him?
The Hoard Snatcher?
God, David. You
’
re more creative than that.” Grayson laughed, his lack of humor made the sound brittle and sharper than he
’
d intended.

“It
’
s the best I
’
ve got, old friend. The hoard stone list is a heavily guarded secret--I think getting into Fort Knox would be easier. I
’
ll see what I can find. Don
’
t expect miracles. I
’
m too close to inner circles not to draw attention. My hands will be tied to a certain degree. The list exists. However, I
’
m not exactly sure where, or with whom. I
’
ll get you a name and hopefully a location, but then you
’
re on your own as far as official Consortium business is concerned.” David drummed his fingers on the deck railing. “Hopefully you
’
ll catch a break.”

“I understand. I
’
m on my own.” And he did. David wouldn
’
t be officially associated with Grayson or his actions. That was okay with him. He
’
d gone the fight alone for the past year. What the hell was another stint? The role of lone dragon suited him just fine.
Yet,
if
Cate
returned soon
, he wouldn’t be forced to face this fight alone
.

“Be careful, Grayson. The threat is real. Two more hoards were pillaged last night.
One in Kent.
One in Bruges.
The dragon mages were powerful.”

“Past tense?”

“Yes, they
’
re both dead. They fought to the death to protect their hoards, as we all must.”

Chapter Nine

Two days later, Grayson sat in a local Realtor
’
s office signing papers to purchase the property adjoining
Cate
’
s
--a sprawling Victorian farmhouse, two barns, and twenty acres of combined patchwork meadowland and woodlands to the east of Chatelaine
’
s Rest bordering Linn Run State Park. He
’
d just picked up a pen to sign his name when he felt the distinct caress of
Cate
’
s
fingers
on
his body. She
’
d touched the tattoo on her neck.
Cate
was awake. He scrawled his name, dated the do
cument, and threw the pen down. “
I need to run. My wife needs me. Call me with the closing date.”

“I
’
ll call you this evening.
Should move fast since it
’
s a cash transaction.
Good doing business with you, Mr. Cooper. Hope your wife is feeling better real soon. April Easton, my niece, has nothing but praise for your lovely wife.”

“Thank you, Mr.
Tilghman
.” Grayson shook the man
’
s hand, pushed through the office door and jogged to his car. Every cell in his body felt alive.
Cate
had come back to him.

“I
’
m on my way, babe.” He clutched the black fire opal ring in his pocket--the hoard stone passed down through generations of his own ancestral dragon mages, and what he hoped would be a re-commitment token he bestowed upon
Cate
.

If she
’
d have him.

#

I
’
m on my way, babe.
The sexy echo of Grayson
’
s voice warmed
Cate
and had her tingling from her head to her toes. She closed her eyes and brushed her fingertips across the dragon image on her neck.
One more time for good luck.
She smiled. He
’
d be primed when he got home.
Home.
Yes, this felt like home. But, really, home was anywhere Grayson lived with her. Hattie had told her he
’
d gone to meet the local Realtor. He planned to set up a residence adjoining her property, to meet the Consortium requirements for her confinement. That worried her a little. She didn
’
t want distance between
them
. She didn
’
t want to live apart from him. Not now. Not ever again. They could figure this out. Figure out how to help him battle the urges that would endanger her or the baby. Couldn
’
t they?

Cate
undressed. She needed a shower before Grayson arrived.
Four
days
asleep with
no bathing had her wrinkling her own nose. She wouldn
’
t subject anyone else to it. She peeled the dressing and white adhesive tape from her shoulder. The dragon teardrop and kiss, coupled with her own healing gifts, had mended her shoulder in three days. Of course she
’
d been asleep for the whole time, but that
’
s what her body needed to produce a speedy recovery.

Still, strong
magick
was at work to get her back on her feet so quickly.

She
’
d give
four
days of her life any time for a healing miracle. It was a small price to pay. She rubbed her thumb across the marbled scar tissue. Too bad Michael James had left behind more damage than this puckered skin. But he hadn
’
t won. She and Grayson had also begun to heal their relationship in those few actions before Michael had opened fire and immediately after she
’
d been hit. Time would accomplish the rest.
Cate
stepped into the shower and let the warm water course over her skin. She moaned. The water felt so good. She lathered her hair and used her favorite lemongrass soap to clean her skin.

A knock sounded on the bathroom door. She watched
Grayson
enter the bathroom. The fogged glass didn
’
t hide his hurry to shuck his own clothes. He shrugged out of his shirt.
Stepped out of his jeans.
Then faced the thick glass doors.
He placed his right hand flat against the glass next to the
door. He watched her, his hungry eyes devouring her.

She placed her hand over his, a mirror image on her side of the barrier. Heat permeated the cool surface.
Magic
k
zipped through the inch-thick glass from her to him and back. She didn
’
t know where she began and he stopped. Love bloomed war
m in her chest and tingl
e
d
through her entire body, then it grew so large she couldn
’
t contain it. A super nova, it consumed them both, wrapped around them and held them tight in its embrace.

They were one--in body, in spirit, in mind.

Desire and raw lust flowed through
Cate
’
s
limbs next. This man, this monster was hers. And she loved him and trusted him as she
’
d never trust another creature in her life.

He bowed his head, the shadow of his shoulder-length hair hiding his face from her, as if the emotions of the moment were all too much for him to take in.

Was he waging
a battle she couldn
’
t see with the beast within? Did he fight against an urge to harm her or the baby?

David and Hattie
’
s warning came back to her.
A male dragon mage cannot be in the presence of his mate or child without feeling the urge to dominate. He will kill his young, even if it means destroying his one and only mate for life.

Is this why Grayson
had
waited? Did he fight the urge to kill her and the baby? No, she didn
’
t believe it. Not after the dragon
’
s tenderness toward her and the baby
when
they
’
d faced down Michael. Grayson would not hurt her--he
’
d mastered his darker alter ego.

She believed in him. She trusted him with her life.

Come,
she whispered in her mind. Trust had forged a link she
’
d never imagined possible and allowed her to go where she
’
d never thought she
’
d be able to tread. A future stretched before her she could willingly embrace, even welcome.

Grayson looked into her eyes, amazement and wonder etched on his face. He didn
’
t waste a moment longer. He yanked the shower door open and stepped inside. He stood before her a beautiful man.
Her husband.
Adonis.
Perfection.
Steam billowed around them, moisture beaded on his skin and water trickled down his chest, forging a path straight to the dark hair surrounding his thick
erection.

“
Cate
.”
He eased her against his chest and nuzzled her neck, his large hands
spanned
her waist,
then
dropped lower to grip her ass and settle her firmly against him. They fit together perfectly.
Two pieces to a whole puzzle.
He growled in her ear.”I love you. I
’
m so glad you
’
re all right.”

He held her in his arms, not moving, just holding.
Pressed tight.
Her body quivered in response. Alive, aroused.
Desperate for his touch everywhere, desperate for him inside her moving.
Pleasuring.
Hard and fast or slow and hot, hell, she didn
’
t care.
Anything but this waiting, hovering between Heaven and Hell.
Yearning for something that just shimmered out of reach.

“And I love the baby growing in your womb. I would never do anything to put either of you in jeopardy again.” Worry etched his brow and pain made his eyes luminescent.

She read the fear on his face.
The regret.
He thought he was to blame for her injury. Heat fused their bodies where they touched. Her breasts tingled hot and needy against the hard muscle of his chest and she ached in places she
’
d forgotten
still
wept for this man
’
s skilled attention.

“
Shhhshhh
.
There
’
s time enough later for that talk.” She placed her index finger over his lips. The contrast between his full, sensual bottom lip and the scratchy bristle of the soul patch just below sent a bolt of sexual awareness straight to her core. She remembered the skill of those lips. How they knew their way around her body.

She stared into his vibrant green eyes and ran her hands up his strong forearms, his biceps, and over his shoulders to loop around his neck and bury her fingers in his thick hair. Then, she
massaged the knotted muscles at the base of his skull.

Grayson studied her face. He
was waiting
for some signal, some sign from her. Hope.
Acceptance.
Or maybe he waged a war against demons she couldn
’
t see. She no longer cared. All that mattered was keeping this man, this beast--who
’
d turned her life upside down and rocked her world--close by her side.

Together they could conquer anything. Apart they were weak, mere shadows straining, but never able to reach their full potential. How to convince him to stay?
To love her?
To keep her?

“I need you. Just love me.
Now.”
Cate
raised
onto her toes and kissed him.
A slow brush of her lips against his lush bottom lip.
A silent benediction.
I love you.
All of you.
She sucked his bottom lip gently into her mouth and bit down.

In an instant, the quiet, sacred moment evaporated in a flash of heat and lust and need. Passion exploded in the small space.

Then she drew his mouth to hers, kissing him, hungry and desperate, like she
’
d never tasted the sensual feast he could provide with his body, his hands, his lips. The warm water slicked their bodies. Slippery wet pleasure rolled over her. He cupped her face and kissed her deep, his tongue warm, slow, and sexy. He touched her everywhere.
His hands caressing, stroking, coaxing.
Grayson licked and nipped and kissed her with a ferocity that took her breath away.

He lifted her, his hands kneading her ass, and pressed her shoulders against the wall. He slipped his hand to her thigh, crooking her knee behind his lower back and opening her wide. She wound both her legs around his waist a moment before he thrust into her, hot, violent, and, oh, so good. She squeezed her eyes shut against the pleasure that vibrated through her at the rightness of Grayson inside her.
Thick.
Strong.
And stoking a fire in her so hot it threatened to consume her from the inside out.

The tattoo on her neck prickled.
Itchy, achy, needy, too.
The beast stirred. She lifted her fingers and caressed the inked dragon. The cool pads of her fingers felt good against the heat of her skin. The rumble of a purr deep inside Grayson
’
s chest vibrated against her own.

She watched his face. His eyes bored into hers.
Fierce.
The heat intense.
One eye flashed amber. She stroked the beast again. Grayson
’
s face muscles tightened. A growl ripped from his throat.
“
Cate
!”
He thrust
deeper,
the tip of his penis nudged her womb.
God, so good.
Then again.
More.
He roared as he gave in to the primal orgasm that gripped him first then her, sucking her into a whirling vortex of love and need and compassion.

She went up in flames.

And she didn
’
t care what dragons she
’
d have to slay. She wanted this forever. With this man, this divine creature who called her to stretch her mind and face her own fears and biases. Because the fire made her stronger, better.
Refined her.
She hadn
’
t lost herself in the wreckage of the flames, but she
’
d e
merged, a p
hoenix rising from the ashes.