Page 25 of Her Scot of Bygones (MacLeod Dragons #2)

–Hazel–

VERY FEW MOMENTS were as heartbreaking as witnessing Evan’s condition when a Sutherland warrior carried him onto Sutherland Castle’s battlement, then threw him over the edge. When that happened, I did what I do when I love someone.

I raced to the edge and leapt after him, determined to protect him.

I’ll admit that’s when things got a little dicey, but fortunately, Lucas was right there in my mind, comforting and consistent, helping me, and despite my momentary terror, it all became effortless after that.

My dragon surfaced and smoothly took over, and good God, outside of being with Lucas, nothing had ever felt so intense. It was impossible to believe I’d gone my whole life without feeling my dragon’s strong, swift, fluid body as I shot down after Evan, gently caught him, and whipped out over the ocean without losing my balance in the choppy wind.

And it only got better from there when I locked eyes on Lucas’s big, gorgeous cobalt blue dragon, and knew without a shred of doubt he was my fated mate. He would always be there for me, life after life.

Yet when I banked in his direction, I was steered back toward the castle by Sutherland dragons and had no choice but to bring Evan back to his abusers. Now I stood over him, doing all I could to protect him from the monsters that had harmed him, listening as Sloan and Elspet spoke of how their clans had been equally traitorous.

“Hazel may leave,”

Elspet said as if she were being particularly gracious for allowing it. She peered with disgust at Evan and shook her head sharply.

“But not Evan. He’s a Sutherland and ours to do with as we please.”

“And we both know what that will be,”

I ground out, certain they could hear me even though my dragon’s voice was telepathic.

“So no deal.”

“Then what would ye suggest?”

Dugal said, his lustful, appreciative gaze raking over me in a way that made my scales crawl.

“Because I could still use a mistress and ‘twould be a pleasure to break yer beast in properly.”

He shrugged.

“Stay willingly and I will personally see Evan nursed back to health, forgive him his trespasses, and allow him to leave if he wishes.”

“Or,”

Sloan presented, shocking us all, his tone not bitter with the anger I knew had been churning in him earlier, but calm and logical.

“I could stay, yer willing guest and captive, until the next sister arrives, allowing her no time to bond with a MacLeod because ye will already have her MacLeod under yer roof.”

This, naturally, caught everyone’s attention.

Elspet sauntered his way, her eyes narrowed.

“How do ye know that?”

“Because I have spoken with her often,”

he said in such a way that there was no doubt he told the truth.

“In her dreams and in the air often, where she forces her beast to go without spreading its wings. ‘Tis me she’s drawn to and me she will come for as soon as the morrow if you but take my offer and let both Hazel and Evan leave in peace.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. How was that possible, given Willow didn’t believe any of this? And wasn’t Sloan promised to another? Yet the longer Sloan spoke, the more I sensed he was telling the truth. He did know Willow, and they did share a past. But then, why not? My own experience had shown me such things could happen.

It seemed Elspet saw that, too, because when she clutched Sloan’s shoulder and her nasty black dragon eyes flared, a small smile curled her mouth.

“Ye tell the truth.”

“I do,”

Sloan vowed, his dragon eyes flaring in return.

“And ye’ve my inner beast’s word if ye let them go, I will not only tell the king of yer gracious and forgiving act on his behalf and our beloved country, but I will tell him it inspired me to stay true to the pact and remain here with ye until Willow arrives.”

I was about to deny him because I didn’t want my sister led to slaughter, but Chara warned me not to.

“Let this play out as it will, lass, and trust the power of fated mates. Trust that things will go as they should.”

“She’s right,”

Aspen said, her voice warm, yet strong and certain in a way that soothed my inner beast.

“This is happening like it should, Hazel, so let Sloan do this and bring Evan home so we can heal him.”

“I accept yer offer.”

Elspet nodded once, much to Dugal’s dismay, gesturing loosely at me and Evan.

“Let them go.”

“Leave, lass,”

Lucas insisted when he felt my hesitation.

“Leave now and come home with me. I’d tell ye we would find a way to protect Willow, but something tells me Sloan is already protecting her, however strange it might seem, so come home before Elspet has a chance to change her mind.”

Sensing he was right, I gave Sloan one last lingering look, one of thanks and also a stern warning that he better protect Willow, then scooped up Evan, and took off.

This time, the Sutherland dragons let me go, and I gained altitude, only for Lucas to fall in beside me and escort me home with the others flanking us for protection. Even though I was worried about Evan, it was hard not to appreciate the moment as we soared alongside each other, and I felt the icy air rush over me, as thrilling and welcoming as having my mate beside me.

“Ye are a natural at this, lass,”

he praised.

“As good at flying as ye are at everything else.”

“You’re just saying that because you want me to make your favorite stew again tonight, given the weather,”

I teased, loving the way he looked at me, felt with me, yet I felt guilty for it too, considering our friend’s condition.

“Maybe once Evan feels better.”

“Which hopefully will be sooner rather than later,”

Aspen said, still there with us despite being at MacLeod Castle.

“If Flame and Chara have anything to say about it.”

I had nearly forgotten about Flame, but in my defense, it had been one heck of a night, yet it seemed he had accomplished his mission and returned home because he was back at MacLeod Castle when we arrived a short time later.

“I should stay with Evan,”

I argued after we shifted and Chara shooed me and Lucas along, insisting that she and Flame had things under control. She told us to get a good night’s rest, because surely there was a wedding to attend in the morning, given mine and Evan’s tattoos had vanished, and I was free to be with Lucas.

“Evan’s injuries aren’t fatal and will heal verra quickly with a wee bit o’ magic and a good night’s sleep,”

Chara went on.

“Spend the eve with your fated mate in your new castle.”

Her eyes twinkled.

“And mayhap give me a niece or nephew for my grandsons to grow up with.”

She winked.

“Mayhap a fierce wee lassie that would put them in their place yet protect them as mightily as her mother protects those she loves?”

“Aye, ‘tis a verra good idea,”

Lucas agreed, clearly having faith in his aunt Chara and Flame because he scooped me up just like he had in the beginning and stole me away, but not before I listed off a slew of ingredients I recommended Chara use after they worked their magic.

“It always made Evan feel better when we were kids, so I know it will now.”

“No doubt ‘twill,”

Chara agreed, eyeing me with approval because she recognized my inner beast knew Evan well. The concoction would heal not just his human half but his inner dragon.

“What about Willow, though?”

I asked Aspen.

“Sloan said she could be at Sutherland Castle as soon as tomorrow, so shouldn’t we let Adlin know what’s going on so he can stop her?”

“Word has already been sent to Adlin,”

Chara assured. Her eyes flared gold with her inner magic.

“But something tells me it might not be as soon as that.”

“Me too.”

Aspen ushered us along with a reassuring yet knowing smile.

“Go get a good night’s rest and we’ll talk in the morning.”

While I still worried about Evan as Lucas carried me off, I sensed Chara was right and he would be okay. He was determined to heal and get back not just to us but most especially to Lilias, and I didn’t blame him. Though she’d remained quiet and submissive during everything that had happened, I caught the ever-so-brief flashes of fear for Evan in her eyes on more than one occasion.

“And ‘twill be that, her, that brings him back swiftly,”

Lucas assured, carrying me on a familiar route to an equally familiar door, stopping long enough to look at me with his heart in his eyes.

“It can be no other way when ye love a lass so fiercely. Yer inner beast would defy death itself to get back to her.”

I felt the last effects of whatever spell had been cast on me to make me forget fade, and my memories of Lucas’s chamber flooded back when he carried me over the threshold.

“Do you remember now?”

I asked softly, prompting him to set me down, realizing why I might have seen a flash of this chamber and Evan’s dragon outside, even though I wasn't here at the time. Slipping my hand into Lucas’s, I smiled and drifted to the small balcony overlooking the frothing sea.

“We were teenagers, and you’d been trying to get me up here, but I thought it was too risky to come to the castle, so you encouraged Evan to dare me.”

“Aye,”

Lucas murmured fondly.

“And you took that dare, but only if he would finally shift and do a flyby so you could see his dragon.”

“I can’t believe I dared him to do that, given the discourse between your clans.”

I shook my head and slid a small, womanly smile Lucas’s way.

“But he did it for you because he wanted us to be together and knew just how much you wanted me to see your chamber.”

“Verra much so.”

He reeled me close and tilted my chin until our eyes were aligned.

“And ‘tis our chamber, lass.”

When he finally closed his lips over mine, that was it. Everything else faded as our kiss deepened and I lost myself to him all over again. I have no clue how we made it to the bed, only that it became a mad mix of yanking off and chanting off our clothes between kisses until he finally settled between my thighs, right where he belonged.

Taking him inside me again somehow felt better than before, and I knew it was because I had finally embraced my inner dragon and came together with my fated mate the way we were always meant to. I could tell by his groan of pleasure as he filled me that he felt the same. And it only got better from there as we moved together perfectly, and our pleasure built quickly.

So quickly, it wasn’t long before he slowed, his gaze found mine, and his dragon eyes flared. There was no need to ask if I was ready for him to take me in a way that could change our lives forever, because I made my answer clear when I wrapped my legs around him and encouraged him to keep moving.

When he did, it was more aggressive, and I loved it. Welcomed it, moving with him until he pressed deep and we let go together with strangled groans of pleasure. After that, it was all a blur of pure, delicious sensation and an endless night of twisted limbs until we drifted off, stirring awake to a whole new day.

One that was going to surprise me in ways I never imagined.