Page 2 of A Very Dragon Christmas (The Dragon Guard #51)

“ Okay, start at the beginning,” his aunt suggested with the authority of a woman who knew her request would be followed but loved him enough to add a comforting lilt at the end, telling him that he had a special place in her heart. "But give me just a minute. I need some of the good stuff to be sure my bran is firing on all cylinders." Filling her favorite Christmas mug, the one she'd been using for as long as he could remember, his aunt asked over her shoulder, "You want a cup? It's fresh. I'd just poured the water in when you came through the door." With a short gasp, she added, "Oh wait! Are you still off caffeine?"

The chuckle in her voice, the one that had been there since the first time he'd asked for decaf almost three years ago, made the left side of his mouth raise in what some called the 'Cass smirk.' Not only had she made fun of him, but all of his cousins and their Mates had laughed so loud and for so long he almost lost all willpower right then and there. Then Uncle Owen stood up for him, telling all of them to mind their own business, and Cass was instantly more determined than ever.

Of course, that drive only lasted about a year. No caffeine was a hard pill to swallow–or not swallow, as the case was for him. After all, doctors weren't meant to function without coffee. At least not when they worked the kind of hours he did. He could be stitching up bombing victims in some far-off country in the morning, then back to the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where he was the lead physician in the research to kick cancer's ass. The human race had enough problems without a fucking disease that attacked without warning and, in most cases, refused to be beaten. He'd always kept a rigorous schedule, but lately, things seemed to be compounding.

Smiling because of all the happy memories being back at the MacAllen Ranch revived within him, even the ones where he was the butt of the joke, and despite the events that had brought him back to South Texas, Cass laughed, “Nope, gave up that battle pretty much as soon as I started.”

“Thank the Heavens,” cheered Barbara McAllen, his mother’s best friend, his surrogate mom, and the Mate of his Uncle Owen. “And I think lasting as long as you did is a testament to your gumption and stubbornness. I just can’t figure out why anyone with our metabolism would ever deprive themselves of something they loved as much as I know you love your java.”

“Well, it was something I tried when I was…”

“When you were havin’ trouble sleepin’? I mean, the last time, not the first.”

"Yep. I see you remember." Happily snickering, he added, "Well, you pretty much remember everything."

“I do, and sometimes it’s a curse, but I like it more than I hate it.” Without pausing, she returned to the subject at hand. “So, did you find out caffeine wasn’t the problem? It wasn’t keepin’ you up at night?”

“You know I did.”

"Because you went to see Bane, the Leader of the Brotherhood of the Dragons? And that Ancient Healer, Doctor, and Seer was able to tell you why you couldn't get a good night's sleep by sharing what he 'saw'?"

"You know I did, and he did," he repeated with a snort of laughter. "And before you ask another question that you already know the answer to, let me just say, yes, I asked him about my insomnia, along with other things, when I went to see him instead of just calling because you told me I needed to speak to him face to face."

"See?" Turning toward him with two mugs of steaming, wonderfully aromatic coffee, his aunt's special blend, she closed the distance. Placing one in front of him, she stepped back toward the closest chair, sat down, and took a sip of her coffee–never breaking eye contact. "Now, was that so hard?"

“Not at all, Aunt Barb.”

“You always were my favorite.”

“Yeah, right.” He scoffed, unable to contain his smirk. “That’s what you say to all of us when we do what you tell us to.”

"Works every time." Winking, she took another sip, then set her mug on the table between the bowl of fruit and three loaves of freshly baked bread he was sure had been made because she knew he was coming home. Leaning forward, she laid her left hand on the highly polished wood and grinned. "So, spill, Cass, my love. Confusion and frustration are written all over your face, and I just can't stand when any of my boys get all tangled up in their BVDs."

“Well…” He forced out a long-suffering breath before continuing. “It’s like I was trying to say–but failin' miserably–wh en I walked in. The birth of the babe went off without a hitch. It was the easiest delivery I've ever had. I mean, there were more Doctors, Healers, and Elders in the room than there are at most hospitals these days. We outnumbered everybody else at least two-to-one. Besides, I'm pretty sure Sam could've done it all by herself if Lance hadn't put out the old, mental all–call. As a matter of fact, I'm also pretty sure …"

“She would’ve preferred to do it herself because then there wouldn’t have been an audience?”

“I see you’ve met her?”

"I have, and I loved her at first sight. I love all of them. We may come from different parts of the world and different walks of life, but we’re all joined by…”

“We’re all joined by one simple belief,” Cass reiterated what he’d been told every day of his life for as long as he could remember. “There are no coincidences. The Universe does not make mistakes. Fate will not be denied, and the Great Creator sees us all as Their children. We are one Family under the Sun, Moon, and Stars.”

Smiling brightly, her eyes shining with a love that reminded him of his mother and made his heart swell three times its size, just like the Grinch's in his favorite holiday cartoon, she winked. "See? You got it in one."

"Yeah, well, here's the freaky part, the one I was trying to tell you about when I first walked in. The one that has me so confused I'm really not sure which end is up."

"Oh, yes." Sitting back, she crossed her legs, picked up her mug, and with her free hand pointed. "With all the talk of babies, I almost forgot. I really need grandchildren, ya’ know that, right?” With a wistful sigh, it only took a second before she was once again focused on him. Clapping, she assured, “But that’s a story for another day. Right here and now, I’m all ears. You have my full attention. Tell me what happened that has you so upset.”

"It's not that I'm upset." He stopped, ran the fingers of his right hand through his hair–something he only did when he was trying to solve a puzzle or find an elusive answer to a pain-in-the-ass question that refused to leave him alone–and sighed for what seemed like the umpteenth time. "It's more like I'm out of sorts… Confused… Completely out of my depth."

"That just can't be so." Shaking her head, Aunt Barbara uncrossed her legs and sat up so straight it was as if she was a puppet, and someone had pulled her strings. "You are one of the smartest people I've ever met, and that's sayin’ something, sir. I’ve met a lot of brilliant people in all my years, a lot of clever Beings with minds like steel traps.” Wagging her finger at him in fun, she added, “And if you ask me the number of those years, I will kick ya’ in the shin and refuse to feed you.”

Hands up in mock surrender, Cass tried not to laugh as he solemnly replied, "No way, no, ma'am. You taught me better than to ever ask a lady her age or her dress size."

“See? You really are my favorite.”

“And that’s the way I like it,” he chuckled.

“Well, it’s just because you’re so damned smart.”

Holding up her hand when Cass was about to interrupt, she kept right on going. “And I do not say that just because you’re my nephew by marriage and the son of the best friend I ever had.”

She winked and crinkled her nose, an expression that had always made him feel better even when he'd just fallen out of the tree, broken his arm, and bent the wing of the model airplane he'd paid for with the money he'd gotten for his eighth birthday .

"It's because it's true. You were smart as a whip from the day you opened your eyes. There was never a child born who could figure something out faster than you–not even one of my own. Not to mention, you've been a doctor since before your twenty-first birthday and healed and saved people of all shapes and sizes in more places and eras than most. So, if you're flummoxed, well, you better tell me the whole story. Then once we have all the facts, we'll spread them out and connect them one at a time like those blasted million-piece jigsaw puzzles you loved as a kid. Sound good?"

“It does,” he readily agreed, truly meaning every word.

There hadn’t been a time in his life, even when his parents still walked the Earth, when his Aunt Barbara and Uncle Owen couldn’t make him feel better. So, after taking a drink of coffee and accepting a plate of Barbara MacAllen’s special peanut butter chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, he started to tell her everything that had happened.

“I got to the Lair of the Golden Fire Clan without a problem. Flew through the night and landed after lunch. I went straight to Commander MacLendon’s house and was welcomed just like I was home.”

“I told you Kyndel and Rayne were good people.”

"Oh, yeah, they are. I knew they had to be, but I'm not afraid to admit that hearing the Southern in Kyndel’s voice felt good. She didn't even get mad that I kept calling her ma'am."

“She’s good that way.”

“She sure is.” Pausing for a second to get his thoughts back in order, Cass started again. “So, after I got introduced to everyone, of course, they wanted to know why I was there. I explained that I thought they were expecting me because it’s where Bane said I was supposed to be.” Pausing for a spilt-second, he shook his head and gave a quick chuckle. “Well, they were confused, and rightfully so. Uncle Owen hadn’t gotten around to calling and telling anyone I was coming. And, apparently, Bane hadn’t either.”

“I understand Bane not callin’ but that husband of mine.” She shook her head and smiled. “You just gotta love that Uncle of yours," Barbara chuckled. "I knew I should've done it. I even suggested it, but Owen said he needed to talk to Rayne about something, and it was as good a time as any to get it all taken care of in one call. So…"

“So, you left it up to him.”

“Yep, I did.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter,” Cass acquiesced. “I repeated that Bane said I needed to go to the Golden Fire Clan because a woman from their past was coming home. I went on to say that she was bringing my Mate with her, and for some reason, I needed to find the woman made for me sooner rather than later."

Stopping, he took another drink of coffee, looked out the window, and, after a few seconds of thinking back over everything that had happened, continued. "I was just about to finish by saying, 'And that is as far as Bane could see into the future,' when Lance yelled that the baby was coming. In the middle of that, their daughter, Sydney, arrived, and we were all runnin’ quicker than a cat dances on a hot tin roof across the Lair to help.”

“I do love it when your Texas comes shinin’ through.”

“Well, then you’ll love what comes next.” Turning so he could look his aunt in the eye, Cass went on, “Two steps out the back door, I realized Sydney was who I needed to talk to. She was the person from the past coming back to her home, the Golden Fire Clan, that Bane saw in his vision. I told my rascally Dragon King, Blár, that we needed to speak with her as soon as we could, and…”

“And I agreed,” the Dragon King’s voice came out of Cass’s mouth without a break or pause in the conversation. They had been together so long that Cass was used to anything his alter ego did and took it all in stride. “Also, I would like to take this time to say a proper hello to you, Barbara Anne Thorntree MacAllen, Luna Wolf of the Thorntree Timber Wolf Pack, Daughter of the Great Chief Cheveyo and Ghigau of the Thorntree Cherokee Nation. It is always such a pleasure to be in the home of 'the One Who Speaks With the Great Spirit.' I have greatly missed our talks and look forward to more."

"It is just great to have you here, King Blár. I, too, have missed our talks, but you have to stop with all the formality. I'm just Barbara MacAllen, or Barb, if you like. I know you and your kin are big on formality, but 'round here, I'm just Barbara, Aunt Barb, or Mom." She chuckled. "However," With a wink and another crinkle of her nose, she got closer and, in a faux conspiratorial whisper, admitted, "It does always do my heart good to be greeted in the old way every once in a while."

“Then I shall strive to always do that for you, Mo charaid ghràdhach ,” the Dragon King answered, the brogue of the Isle of Skye where the Universe had breathed him into existence thick in his voice, before he returned to the back of the Guardsman’s soul.

"Well, now, haven't I been put in my place," Cass chuckled. "Sorry about that, Old Man." Then, to his aunt, he also said, "Sorry, I was…"

"You were all consumed with whatever happened at the Golden Fire Lair and didn't think of letting King Blár speak to me." Nodding, she went on, "It's okay. He and I will speak later. You keep going. I'm on the edge of my seat over here." Snickering, she added, "Even though I do love that old Dragon King of yours."

“And he loves you.” Another sip of coffee, and Cass started where he’d left off. “Like I was sayin’, we were all runnin’ at top speed through Kyndel’s garden and across the pasture. It reminded me of the All Dragon Games from when I was a young’un. Anyway, about halfway between the MacLendon’s house and the Clinic, Sydney just disappeared.”

“You mean, she went a different way.”

"No," he insisted, "I meant what I said. She. Disappeared." Up on his feet in one fluid motion, Cass spun on the heels of his boots and started pacing the length of the massive kitchen that felt more like home than his own ever had. Without missing a beat, he went on, "One second, she was running by my side, talking about how she was so excited to finally see her mom and dad again and to welcome the new baby, and the next, she wasn't. Poof! She was gone. When we got to the Clinic, I asked a few people where she'd gone, and they all said they hadn't seen her for almost ten years since she went to the Refuge in the Citadel with the Ancient One, Shavon."

Returning to his chair, he sat and grabbed a cookie from the plate. Using it like the pointer his old anatomy professor, Dr. Benedict, used to use, he went on, "Of course, my hunt for Sydney Kavanaugh was cut short when Siobhan Walsh asked me to assist Charlie O'Brien, another doctor and the Mate of Aaron O'Brien… With a single, sharp shake of his head, he added, "Why am I telling you who people are? You know everybody."

His aunt nodded, and he continued, "Always have. Always will." He forced a snicker to ease the tension beating at him from the inside out. "So, Sam was tryin' to hand out directions, do her Lamaze breathing, and shatter every bone in her husband's hand, all while having one contraction on top of another. Happily, for all involved, especially Lance's hand, if the look of utter pain on his face was any indication, the birth didn't take long. The baby was happy and healthy from the start. She literally cried for two seconds, then started cooing and smiling. At twenty-four inches long and eight pounds and twelve ounces with light brown curls, she was the definition of adorable."

“Oh, I love babies, especially the chubby ones,” Barbara swooned. “Tell me, did she have thick little thighs and cheeks you just wanted to kiss?”

“Yes, ma’am, she sure did.” Smiling, the expression and the memory making him feel a little less frustrated, Cass started to resume his account of what had taken place when his Aunt asked, “What did they name her?”

“Oh, yeah,” he snickered. “Orla Elizabeth Anne Kavanaugh.”

“What a name. It’s perfect.”

“I understood Orla because it means Golden Princess. One look and there was no denying that the sweet little girl was most definitely a princess, and we all know her daddy is a golden Dragon, so…” Shrugging, he opened his hands and nodded. “I admit, I was a bit confused about the two middle names, but Kyndel explained that Elizabeth is Sydney’s middle name and Anne is Sam’s.”

"Now, the second she mentioned Sydney, I remembered why I was really there and asked where the young lady had gone, and do you know what, Aunt Barb?"

“I don’t, but I’m sure you’re gonna tell me.”

"You're right. I am." Without so much as a breath, Cass declared, "She shrugged, turned, and walked away. "

“And you left it there?”

"Not exactly. I stayed around for another day to be sure Mother and Baby Orla were okay. I absolutely tried to talk to Kyndel again, but she had more excuses than feathers in a henhouse, always sayin' she was so busy but would be right back. As you can imagine, when she came back, she was just as busy. Where everyone was concerned, well, they just looked at me like I had three heads if I even mentioned Sydney's name."

"What about their son, Jay? That beautiful boy nearly talked my ear off the last time I saw him."

“I saw him for about two minutes in total, and that was when he and the O’Brien twins–Angus and Ashton–were raiding the refrigerator and the pantry. Those three were almost as good at eatin’ their parents out of house and home as me, Jed, and Gage were at that age. But instead of disappearing out to the barn or the nearest tree or cave, they were busy playin’ video games.” Taking a drink of coffee, he remembered to say, “I’m sure you already know, but Jay had his first Shift right before Thanksgiving.”

“I had heard that,” his aunt agreed. “I knew he would be early to embrace the Magic of his Dragon. I bet the O’Brien twins aren’t far behind.”

“Yeah, Blár and I could feel the Mysticism of the Shift when they were anywhere around. It won’t be long.”

“Well, good for them.” Motioning with her free hand, she asked, “What about Rayne? He’s always been a straight shooter. I remember your Uncle Owen asking him about something many years ago. Even though whatever was happening was top secret, the Commander told your Uncle that he couldn’t explain at the time but would as soon as he could. We both respected him for that. Then true to his word and his character, he called a week later, after getting permission from the Elders, and answered all our questions.”

“I knew Rayne would at the very least tell me to mind my own business, but he was nowhere to be found,” Cass explained. “Nether were Aidan or Aaron O’Brien. I asked their Mates when they would be back, and they were as tight-lipped as Kyndel. Now, you know me, I tried to be patient, but I was not blessed with very much of that particular virtue. I know you know how antsy I get when I have something on my mind and have nothing to keep me busy.”

“I do, better than most.”

"Yeah, well, I just said my goodbyes and thanked everyone so much for their incredible hospitality. I dropped by to check on Sam, Lance, and little Orla and then went to see Bane. Thankfully, he was back in Houston, looking at the results of our latest research."

“How did that go?”

"Well, he liked what he saw with the gene splicing. Just like we suspected, Dragon DNA perfectly integrates with human DNA, and without the Magic of the Ancients and the Universe, there is no chance of them Shifting and becoming a Dragon Sylph. The Heavens know we do not need Elemental Air Dragons with no soul or moral compass roaming the Earth–no matter how much I hate cancer and what it does to the humans."

“Well, that’s good news.”