Page 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

A ntony’s head pounded as he slowly woke up to beeping. It was rhythmic, just like a heart rate monitor in a hospital.

His body also throbbed, especially around the middle. Then he remembered—a dragon had carted him off, as if he’d been a piece of meat.

But at least the pain meant he was still alive. Next was trying to determine where he was and form a plan.

So even though his eyelids felt like concrete blocks, little by little he opened them, until he blinked against the dim lighting in the room.

Decades of habit meant scanning the space. However, once he saw Iris slumped over on his bed, her head cradled in her arms, he mustered the strength to lift his hand and touch her cheek.

She jerked awake, standing and looking around the room as she blinked the weariness away. The sight of her disheveled and sleepy made him smile. His voice was scratchy as he said, “This wasn’t how I wanted to wake up next to you for the first time, but I’ll take it.”

Her gaze shot to his, and she sat down and placed her hand over his. “Antony, you’re awake! And strong enough to make pithy comments, so I’ll take that as a good sign.”

For a few seconds, he stared into Iris’s lovely brown eyes. The flashes of relief and happiness did something to his heart. “I thought I would never see you again.”

“Aye, and if you weren’t still healing, I’d punch your arm. What were you thinking, distracting an unstable, mad dragon? He could’ve killed you, Antony. When I saw all that blood…”

Her voice cracked, and he brought her hand to his mouth to kiss the back of it. “I’m sorry, love. I couldn’t stand by and watch him kill the woman I love.”

For a second, he mentally cursed. Iris required patience, and he’d just gone and blurted out his feelings.

But instead of stiffening and making some dismissive comment, she cupped his cheek. As she stroked her thumb, he nearly purred. She said softly, “I’ve been trying to deny things, too afraid you’d betray me like my ex. But you were willing to die for me, Antony Holbrook. And when I thought I might never see you again? It made me realize how far you’ve burrowed through my walls, and I don’t want to patch them up again. I love you, too. But just remember, I can shift into a dragon. So make sure not to charm too many females whilst doing a job.”

At her words, his heart soared, and he wished he could kiss her.

But even putting aside how he probably couldn’t quite sit upright by himself yet, there was the whole possibility of a mate-claim frenzy.

The thought of him and Iris having a child together someday made his earlier decision all the easier to share. “That won’t be a problem, love. I’ve been too stubborn for years, and nearly being eaten by a dragon only made it all the more clearer that I need to retire from leading in the field.”

Her brows came together. “Are you sure? It’s been your life for over twenty years.”

He gripped her hand tighter in his. “Yes, I’m sure. There’s a lot I can do from behind-the-scenes.” He hesitated, but didn’t want to ever hold back with Iris. So he added, “Besides, if we kiss and there’s a mate-claim frenzy, it means I can stay home with the baby whilst you continue working.”

She didn’t bat an eyelash as she replied, “I have a hard time imagining you as a stay-at-home dad.”

“Well, I can work when the baby naps. I am the king of surviving on little sleep and multitasking.”

“We don’t even know if there will be a frenzy, aye? So let’s not count our chickens before they hatch.”

He studied her a second before stating, “Would you be all right with a frenzy, Iris? If not, I’m sure Dr. Turner can think of a way to suppress it. She often goes on about how ridiculous it is that if she kisses some stranger, then she doesn’t get a choice in whether she wants to have a child or not, unless she wants to drug her inner dragon for months.”

He rather agreed with her. But he’d find ways to fund her research more later. Right now, he held his breath as he waited for Iris’s answer.

After searching his gaze for a few seconds, she replied, “I’m open to it on three conditions.”

His lips twitched. “Go ahead, my dear. What are they?”

“First, I want to work with you and your Wicked Security team, department, whatever it is.”

“Of course. That one’s easy.”

She blinked. “It is?”

“Yes. That was my plan all along, remember?”

“Aye, well, I wasn’t sure after everything that happened. And it was a sort of test, to show you were sincere about me doing the type of job I love, despite the possible dangers.”

“I may not always like where you go or who you have to fight. But I also know asking you to give it up would make you slowly die inside. Besides, I love you exactly as you are, Iris Mahajan. Apart from maybe laughing at my jokes more often, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

She smiled and rolled her eyes. “Your jokes are occasionally funny.”

He grinned. “I knew it! You’re a die-hard Antony Holbrook fan.”

“Let’s not get too crazy, aye?”

“And the other conditions?”

She shrugged one shoulder. “Well, the second is that I still want to spend most of our time on Lochguard. Aye, we can visit Max and Lavinia on Skyhunter, but I don’t want to leave my parents.”

“Oh lord, your parents. You’re going to have to tell me how to charm them.”

She snorted. “My mum will be happy I’ve found a male at all. My dad, though, will probably quiz you and maybe challenge you to some inane contest with snooker or cricket or some other sport I never really cared about, but he loves.”

“I’m quite good at cricket, especially bowling. So winning over your father should be easy. And yes, we can mostly live on Lochguard. Whilst my dragon-shifter team members have their own secret living arrangements, us living there might jeopardize them all if we have to visit Lochguard often. The more comings and goings, the more chance of discovery, after all.”

“All these secrets of yours are going to take a lifetime to unravel, aye?”

He squeezed her hand. “I’ll try my best, love. Although I’d rather focus on our story for most of it instead of the past. After all, we’re just getting started.”

She traced his jaw as her pupils flashed. “Sometimes, I still can’t believe this isn’t all an act and I’ll wake up to find you walking away.”

“Iris, listen to me. If I were healthy again, I’d pull you close and tell you in no uncertain terms that I’m here to stay. Once a Holbrook makes a decision, we stick to it.” He tried to scoot over, and pain shot through his side.

“Stop that right now, Antony. You’ll hurt yourself again, and giving you my dragon’s blood will be all for nothing.”

“Ah, that must be why I’m not in complete agony. Your blood must be as sweet as every other part of you.”

He winked, and she sighed. “Oh no, there’s going to be a lifetime of this, isn’t there?”

“Yes, love. And it’ll be a grand time, too. Well, I think so. There’s still one more condition you haven’t shared with me yet.”

“You never miss anything, do you?”

“Not often. I’m sure you’ll let me know when I do. Now, what’s your remaining condition?”

She picked at the sheets of his bed. “Whilst I do want a frenzy at some point, after you’re well, I want our first kiss to happen naturally and not be forced.”

“Are you asking me out on a date?”

“Aye, maybe.”

“Maybe isn’t good enough, love.”

“If you think I’m going to spout off nonsense like you would, then you’ll be waiting a long time.”

He chuckled, uncaring that it sent a dull ache through his side. “Of course I don’t want our first proper kiss to be forced, Iris. We have time to discuss future plans, though, since I don’t know how long I’ll be here.”

The machines and room said he was at the secret research facility near London.

“Dr. Turner, Dr. McFarland, and Dr. Sid are all here, working together. And no, not just for you, either. They’re trying to help the young dragon found in the same room as you, as well as the dragon female named Chelsea. The other female dragon we found died shortly after the rescue from some experimental brain surgery those monsters had conducted on her. The doctors are trying to figure out what they’d attempted—something to do with mind control, according to Zoe—to better prepare for the future. Because over the last few years, everything points to the dragon hunters researching ways to kill or control dragon-shifters.”

Before he could ask for specifics, Iris filled him in on everything that had happened since they’d found him.

Apparently, he’d been in a secret research facility underneath Glasgow Central Station. The ones running it were an offshoot of the dragon hunters, although no one had revealed who was in charge. Zoe Watson had said it was a human female, probably Margot Green, but they had yet to confirm it.

The location of the missing dragon-shifters had been in the computer system back in the secret lab in Glasgow. The rescue teams had arrived just after the gas had gone off in the cells—probably a last-ditch tactic to prevent any witnesses—and they’d managed to save most of the prisoners, thanks to Dr. Turner’s research, with help from Dr. Trahern Lewis.

The DDA was interrogating everyone they could, and soon some dragon-shifters would get the chance, too.

By the end, Antony’s head throbbed from trying to keep everything straight. Which was bloody frustrating since he usually kept twenty different lists going at once without blinking.

He muttered, “I hate being weak and confined to this bed.”

Iris raised her brows. “If you even think of trying to sneak out and start analyzing data before the doctors give you the all clear, I will tie you to that bed, Antony Holbrook. Don’t think I won’t.”

“I never knew you fancied tying me up, Iris. Maybe we’ll try that sometime.” But his teasing didn’t budge her stubborn expression, and he sighed. “Fine, fine, I’ll be a good lad. But only if you come here and take a nap with me.”

She eyed the empty space he’d created earlier. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t. Now, come here, love. Give your man some cuddles.”

Chuckling, she laid down next to him carefully, and Antony slowly wrapped an arm around her. He didn’t even grunt at the pain, loving how it felt to have Iris with him again. Especially since he hadn’t been sure he would survive the dragon carrying him off.

As he breathed in her scent, a sense of peace and happiness settled over him.

And before he could tease her further, her heat and closeness lulled him to sleep, where he had dreams of mating her in front of her clan and making the dragonwoman his forever.