Emlyn’s story is remarkable. Everything she says sounds like it comes out of a fairy tale, well, except the part where Alpha Rich and Cayd’s mother was held by a vampire prince for years, and Emlyn’s mother was ejected from the pack by her father because he didn’t think she had a wolf, or that human hunters came to kill them. None of that sounds like a fairy tale, but the rest of it does.I learned that elves really do exist and one of their friends is the Queen of the Fae. Seriously, all the things that you grow up reading about, the fairy tales and the things that go bump in the night…every one of them really does exist.What I find the most interesting is the history of the Guardians and how, throughout time, they weren’t allowed to be with their fated mates because the Alphas wanted them for power. It wasn’t until their parents’ generation that Guardians were able to be with their fated mates and now, the Guardian line is being passed down genetically through the females. I guess
I could kiss my brother. While I feel nearly incapacitated with my desire to help my mate but fearing that I would scare her, Xander swoops in to save the day.Since we’re all standing, I look at my mate. “I’m guessing horror movies aren’t your thing?”She shakes her head, no.“Maeve wouldn’t allow that in our house anyway. We’ll be lucky if we don’t have to watch some children’s witchy movie like Sleeping Beauty.”“Sleeping Beauty didn’t have witches,” Madelyn says, frowning.“Tell that to my mate. Those sprite things…what are they called, Cayd?”“Fairy godmothers,” I say, watching Madelyn. Her heart rate has gone down since Rich left. I’ll need to warn my father to monitor his Alpha aura around her. Maybe if I tell him to act like she’s one of the twins, he’ll get the picture. Of all of us, the twins, who look and act the most like our mother, have always been treated more gently than the rest of us.“My mate says the fairy godmothers aren’t fairies at all, they’re witches,” he says,
I wake in soft sheets that smell like buttery maple syrup. Or maybe that’s the smell that’s coming from the kitchen.I shoot up in bed worried that I’ve overslept and I’ll be punished. Except this isn’t my room. I frown, looking around and then it all comes flooding back. I escaped. I ran into Cayd. I met a Guardian, Cayd’s brothers, Xander’s mate, and we watched a movie.I must have fallen asleep during the movie. I certainly don’t remember coming back down to Cayd’s room. The only reason I know this is Cayd’s room is because I showered in here last night and I glanced around at his room, curious to see if he had any pictures of him and his girlfriend or mate. I was surprised at how happy it made me that he didn’t have any.He has lots of pictures of his family. It’s a big family and every one of them, every single one of them, is drop-dead gorgeous. His sisters, and I know they’re his sisters because they all have the sun-kissed look of people who live by the ocean, all look like mod
‘Dammit, Baron! You’re going to scare her!’ I growl at my wolf.‘You need to get your nose checked, Cayd. What I was smelling wasn’t fear, it was arousal. She wanted me to kiss her,’ he says smugly.Damn arrogant wolf.‘I’m not arrogant. I was careful with her, but she’s obviously curious about me and apparently has no problem if I kiss her. You on the other hand…’ he says, laughing as we walk into the living room.I roll my eyes and go to open the door for my parents. When I do, my mother’s sweet smile brightens my day, just like it has for most of my life.“Cayden,” she says, opening her arms. “Hello, my son.” The only person that my mother loves more than her children is my father. Well, now maybe her grandbabies are starting to push us out too, I’m not exactly sure on that one.“Hello, Mother,” I say, enveloping her in a hug. My mother is a small woman, having been held by vampires when she was still a growing teenager. It stunted her growth, but not her strength.“Hey, Dad,” I say
I’m glad Cayd got me this blanket. I’m uncomfortable talking about what happened to me. In a lot of ways, I feel stupid for falling for Alec’s interest in me. I mean, I didn’t know that he was a werewolf, but he was nice and that was all it took for me to fall head over heels for him.I have to admit, in the very short time that I’ve been around him, I can already tell that Cayd is different than Alpha Alec. When I was with Alec, when we were dating, or what I thought was dating, I never met anyone else, not until he took me to the pack. With Cayd, I’ve met two brothers, two sister-in-laws, and now his parents. While Alpha Liam is intimidating, Luna Angel is very sweet, and it’s obvious that Alpha Liam adores his mate. That was something else that I didn’t see with Alpha Alec or his father. This level of adoration for someone else in their life. It makes me wonder why some werewolves are like that and others aren’t. Maybe the Guardians are just different.I pull the blanket around me,
How close did I come to losing my mate because some asshole Alphas were abusing her? She nearly died, nearly starved to death. I don’t think humans can go days without water and if they took her clothes and left her in a cell…she would have been frigid. The image of my mate, laying naked in a ball on the concrete floor of some pack’s cells had come unbidden to my mind and Baron and I had felt the need to kill Alpha Alec. If I had known last night…if I had known what he did to my mate, he would never have gotten out of this city alive.‘Cayden, sweetheart, I know that you and Baron are struggling with what you’ve heard, but your mate needs you. This is hard for her to tell us. She may not understand why she isn’t afraid of you, or why your presence helps her to feel safe, but it does. Take some breaths and come be here for your mate,’ my mother’s gentle voice floats into my mind.‘Mom…’‘They will pay for what they did to her and what, I assume, they are doing to others,’ she says, this
I like Angel. She’s very sweet and I realize quickly that she’s a lot of fun. Since she has four daughters, she’s used to shopping, much more than I am.“I really don’t think we should spend so much of Cayd’s money,” I say to her for the hundredth time.“Trust me, sweetheart. He will be very happy to know that you have clothes that you’re comfortable in and that you like. Believe me. I know my son. This is important to him.”“Because he found me and I asked for his help? I really didn’t mean for him to do all of this when I asked for help.”“Even if my son didn’t do this for you, my mate and I would. It’s the right thing to do, but I also don’t want you to think that all of us are like what you’re experienced,” she says, looking around. She told me she’d prefer to shop in the town that is on pack lands, but when she asked me, I told her I’d rather stay in the city, so we did.I’m trying to be careful, in case he has a girlfriend who might get jealous of his attention of me and all this
My dad, Xander, and I met to talk about buying out the rest of the building. We’re all in agreement that it would be a good idea. Xander likes it because then we’d own all the stores on the first floor which includes Maeve’s witch shop and the restaurant on the third floor where our staff and others from outside the building come to eat. So, those businesses would pay rent to us. The other floors we would begin to renovate as apartment condos for our staff. The twelfth floor is where our company is located and since humans don’t build a thirteenth floor, it’s a large space with high ceilings. Xander now owns the fifteenth floor for him and his family. Currently we own the eleventh floor to the fifteenth.Currently, the fourteenth floor has multiple residents, but my father suggested that I look at remodeling it to take over the entire floor like Xander has done on the fifteenth floor, and moving the residents to other floors. Because we still bring in individuals who need assistance, w
We didn’t have to worry about clothing for Torin and Avalon. My mother and my aunts apparently felt the need to make sure our new friends had clothes, so when we arrived back at the apartments, they had clothes waiting for them.“I don’t even know what to say about this,” Avalon says, looking shocked.“You don’t have to say anything. You’re under the care and protection of the Guardians. That means something to us, to all of us,” I tell them.“Thanks,” Torin says, but I can tell the gesture is meaningful to him too. Good, the sooner he realizes that we’re not his enemy, the better.Xander drives us to the airport where the pilots are ready and waiting for us. I say goodbye to my brother, having already spoken to my father.“Call if you need anything. We’ll be there," he says.“I know. I’ll be calling anyway, hopefully, to give you a timeframe and number of dragons headed your way,” I say, before following the others into the plane.It’s a private jet with small seating areas and a bed
After spending most of the afternoon pouring over maps, and then spending dinner with the dragons, hearing their excitement about Araphyra and beginning to feel their own magic coming forward, Cayd led me into the forest.Just like last time, we spent then entire night making love, sharing light, and being together. I don’t know how my body has the energy to go for so many hours, never needing a break, never needing to disconnect from my mate, but I don’t care. My only complaint is that the time went by much too quickly and before I knew it, Cayd was sliding out of me, showing me that the sun had started to rise.“We need to get back to the city today so we can head out west. It’s time for us to bring all of your dragon brethren home, Madelyn. Then, maybe next time, we can stay out here until you’ve had enough of me,” he says giving me that million-dollar smile.“Well then, you’d better prepare to spend the rest of your life here in the forest Cayden Holstin, because I will never have
After we get settled, Aolis and Lily take the dragons on a tour of Araphyra. While they look around, I take Madelyn to the library so that we can meet with Ailduin.When we walk in, I see that Buppig is here as well, ready to assist.“Good morning, Buppig! How are you?” I ask him.“I’d be better if me mate wasn’t flittin’ around about having some male dragons around. What has he got that I haven’t got?” he asks irritably, his Irish accent becoming heavier with his frustration.“Height?” Madelyn asks innocently.“I think it was a rhetorical question, love,” I say to her as Buppig narrows his eyes at her.“Yeah, well, I’ve got it where it counts! Got her pregnant, didn’t I? I’m giving her a little sprite baby, aren’t I?”“Or possibly a leprechaun baby, Buppig. You know that Hyacinth loves you, unconditionally,” Anastasia says kindly.“Of course she does! You’re not questioning her love for you, are you, Buppig?” Madelyn asks.“Just because he’s big and warm, so what? I’m warm!” he huffs,
It feels good being back in Araphyra. I almost wish that this could be my home. Almost. But my home is with Cayd and he has a life back in the city and in the packs. And my life is with him.‘I promise we’ll visit frequently,’ Cayd says, sensing my thoughts.I smile at him as we all exit the van. King Aolis and Queen Lily are waiting for us.“Welcome dragons,” King Aolis says. As the others step forward and look around, I can sense the fae creatures moving toward us. I’m not sure if they are drawn to the magic of dragons, or if they are just excited to see more here in their homeland.“Whoa!” Tamsyn says. I turn and look at her, seeing that her body is glowing in a golden light.“Uh, what’s happening?” Silas asks, his body beginning to glow with a silver light.“Is this our magic?” Avalon asks in awe, her body glowing with her dragon's rose-gold color. Even Torin is glowing with a pewter glow.“You’re glowing too,” Cayd says, smiling as he looks over my body. I look down, surprised to
I wasn’t sure what to expect from our decorating party, but I wasn’t expecting to have as much fun as I did. Everyone seemed to have a wonderful time, my mate especially. After breakfast, half of us began decorating trees, while others began preparing dinner, and then others decorated the apartment.I had several moments where I stopped and looked around, recognizing that someday soon our apartment will be as large as Xander and Maeve’s, but that this, this happiness and chaotic fun, is going to be my life.“I know that look,” my father says walking up.“What look is that?” I ask, eating yet another Christmas cookie. They’re really good.“The look of a man who is seeing his future with the woman he loves.”“Yep, that’s exactly what I was thinking,” I say, smiling as my mate sings with the others who know the holiday songs playing on the television.“Now replace every one of these people with your pups or dragons babies and you’ll see what I saw in my future when I met your mother.”“Ma
Even without sleep, my body is humming with the pleasure that Cayd gives me. It’s like a constant adrenaline rush that keeps my body on a high so that I don’t feel the need to get as much sleep.When I get out of the shower, I smile, putting on the second dress that Cayd knew that I’d need. I bite my lip as I think about all the positions we were in while I was in and out of this dress. I lean down to get the shoes, not sure that my feet are ready for a day in these heels when Cayd’s strained voice stops me.“Baby, I love you. I love you so much, more than anything else in this entire world. If you love me at all, anywhere close to how much I love you, you won’t wear those shoes. I only have so much restraint and it’s going to be hard enough seeing you in that dress today with every memory of what I did to you while you were in it last night. Please, have mercy on your weak mate and don’t wear those shoes.”I giggle, and then, because I can, I run and leap into my mate’s arms. He catch
Once everyone is settled with where they are going and when, I say goodbye to my sisters, Emerson, and Cohen. They give me the information that they have, letting me know that Leana and Riley have the specific coordinates of where Madelyn and I need to look for the other dragons. Lily is heading back to Araphyra to prepare for us to bring this first group of dragons home.Home. It’s a simple word and something that none of these descendants of dragons have had. For me, I know I intend to change that for Madelyn. I want our apartment to be and feel like a home. I’m hoping that the others will find a home in Araphyra.As Madelyn and I go down to the garage in the elevator, the thought of making a home with her overwhelms me and I press her against the side of the elevator, kissing her as I push my happiness and love for her into the kiss and through the bond. I knew finding my mate would be everything, but I didn’t truly understand the feeling of happiness and contentedness within myself
Everyone gets quiet with King Ailduin’s suggestion that because of us, someday dragons could fly in the skies again. I mean, that will be well past my lifetime, but the idea that I could be a part of that ... I look at Cayd, wondering if our children will be a part of that.‘Yes, they will,’ he says in my mind.‘How do you know?’‘Because there is a prophecy about the two of us. I think that means that the two of us do more than just bring the dragons to Araphyra. I think we’ll help bring them back into existence, if that’s what happens. But either way, we’re here, on the cusp of something exciting, leading the way and blazing the trail,’ he says, pulling my hand to him mouth and kissing my knuckles.“I’ll go if Madelyn comes with us,” Avalon says, pulling my attention back to the table.Everyone turns to look at me.“I will too,” Silas says, and Tamsyn nods in agreement.I look at King Ailduin and then at Cayd. “Is that a possibility?”Cayd turns to King Ailduin. “The Guardians and th
I realize I don’t have a lot of experience with dragons, but this guy is on my last nerve. I understand he’s been through a lot and that he’s distrustful of werewolves, but Madelyn and the others aren’t werewolves and they've been through just as much as he has.When everyone arrives, we begin. I know King Aiduin will be here as quickly as he can, but I don’t want to wait for him. Torin is already jumpy and the others are nervous enough that the scent of their fear is starting to fill the room.“As you know, my name is Madelyn. Up until very recently, I thought I was a human, just like all of you did. In a very short amount of time, I escaped from the pack that was holding me hostage, I found my mate who is also a werewolf but a good one, I went to a place called Araphyra which is the land of the fae where I learned about the history of dragons, and then I found my magic.”“How did you find it?” Silas asks.“Well…” Madelyn begins before looking at me.“Araphyra is a very magical place.