Chapter Five
As Aaron strode toward Glenlough’s castle slash great hall, he was grateful for the warmer than normal summer temperatures.
Formal celebrations required dragon-shifters to wear traditional-style clothing. The strip of fabric across his chest was attached to the kilt-like skirt wrapped around his hips. Since he wore Stonefire’s dark red color, he stuck out amongst the sea of hunter green outfits. While the females had a bit more variety to the hues of green, the males all wore a single dark green color. And as he passed the Glenlough clan members, they studied him. Not with disgust or fear, but rather curiosity.
To be fair, it could be a lot worse.
Yet as he took in the observers, one face never appeared.
He hadn’t spotted Teagan.
Not that he should be seeking her out. But she was a familiar face and one that would help him find his footing in the Irish clan.
His dragon spoke up. We’ll find her. I think you’re as eager as me to see her in her traditional garb.
I care little what she wears, as long as she’s not naked.
So does that mean you admit you find her attractive? Otherwise, nakedness shouldn’t matter.
Not going to answer that. Hush.
To distract himself, he glanced to Brenna Rossi at his side; she was in the same dark red color. “Given how much you love it here, I’m surprised you’re not in green.”
She glanced up at him. “Just because I respect Teagan and what she does, it doesn’t mean I don’t love my home. Even if I spend the rest of my days with Glenlough, I will always be a member of Stonefire at heart.”
As Brenna waved hello to her tenth male in the time they’d walked from her cottage to the great hall, Aaron shook his head. “Methinks you’ll be finding a mate soon enough.”
Her eyes shuttered. “I doubt it.”
Since Brenna was not only a distant cousin but also like a younger sister to him, Aaron wanted to press her further. However, a familiar female voice garnered his attention. “If you stand next to any of my clan members, people might start asking if we’re celebrating Christmas early.”
He looked in the direction of Teagan’s voice and stopped in his tracks.
Her long, dark hair was piled atop her head with a few tendrils of curls dancing around her shoulders. Pale flowers were also tucked here and there on her scalp, a stark contrast to her dark hair. Her dress was the same one-shoulder, floor-length plain dress as every other female, but the green was more of an emerald. The same shade as her eyes, to be exact.
And even though the dress was only snug to the waist, it was the clearest view he’d had of her small breasts and trim ribcage. Both suited her tall stature.
However, despite the display of her female attributes, the defined muscles of her arms reminded him she had strength, too.
As he ogled Glenlough’s leader, his dragon chuckled. Are you still going to deny she’s attractive?
He mentally cleared his throat. Of course she’s bloody attractive. It doesn’t mean I’m going to do anything about it.
When the corner of Teagan’s mouth ticked up, he focused back on the female and said, “Anyone who mentioned Christmas to a dragon-shifter would just show their ignorance since dragon-shifters in the UK and Ireland celebrate the Winter Solstice, not Christmas.”
“You were speechless for almost ten seconds, and that’s the comeback you came up with?” Teagan tsked. “You’re going to have to work on your wit if you’re to deal with me.”
His beast grunted. Forget the verbal sparring. Tell her she’s beautiful.
No.
But—
It’s not up for discussion.
Aaron put his arm out for Brenna. With a puzzled look on her face, she obliged and threaded her arm through his. Aaron looked back to Teagan. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, we should take our seats.”
“I think you’re trying to change the subject. I’ll allow it for now. Come with me. You’re the guest of honor, which means sitting on my right side, just like the kings and queens of old.”
“So now you’re a queen?” Aaron drawled.
“No, but there’s nothing wrong with a little tradition now and then, as long as we keep the present in mind when following them and aren’t afraid to adjust as needed.”
Her response was odd, but Aaron decided to brush off his curiosity. “Then lead on, my lady. Royalty always leads the way.”
Teagan held his gaze for another second before turning around and strutting toward the great hall’s stone entrance. Without her studying him, he allowed his eyes to wander to her swaying hips and bum.
Brenna whispered low enough that no one else should hear her. “If I mention you staring at her arse to Killian, he’ll punch you and toss you into a jail cell until you cool off. Or, come to think of it, he may lock you away for the rest of your natural life.”
He looked to Brenna and whispered back, “So now you’re tattling to Killian?” He put a hand over his heart. “And here I thought you were like a sister to me. It’s not good manners to wish your brother incarcerated.”
“Forget the silliness. Teagan was looking at you too. She’s unattached, you know. Maybe Glenlough is where you’re supposed to end up after all.”
He picked up his pace. “Definitely not. After my time in Italy, I’m more certain than ever before that Stonefire is where I belong. She can look all she wants, but she won’t get these muscles to herself.”
Brenna opened her mouth to reply, but they reached the throng of people filing inside the building and she promptly closed it. The female Protector still had sense. Of course, she’d probably bring it up again later.
His dragon stretched his wings out before folding them against his back again. I’m not the only one who notices her interest. Make sure you ask Teagan to dance tonight.
I’m not bloody dancing in front of a crowd of strangers. For all we know, they could do the traditional Irish dancing with all the fancy legwork and Teagan will ‘accidentally’ kick me in the balls.
His beast snorted. It’s amusing to see you so uncomfortable and cautious. I bet Bram would like this version of you. You would’ve caused a lot less trouble as a teen.
I’m being bloody cautious because we’re representing Stonefire. Remember, the clan is counting on us.
His dragon grunted but didn’t respond. Thinking of the clan was one of the few ways to shut up his beast.
Aaron only hoped his dragon’s silence lasted the entire evening. Because if his beast harped on about Teagan’s appearance, especially if she issued a blasted dare, then he might do something foolish.
No. Aaron had let his guard down too quickly with Nerina in Italy, and his mother had been forced to return to England because of his irresponsible behavior. He wasn’t going to let down anyone else because of his bloody dragon’s demands or because he wanted to see a certain female naked and under him.
His dragon sat smugly at the back of his mind at that comment.
Behave, he mentally whispered to his beast. Approaching the stairs to the raised dais, he freed his face of any emotion. It was showtime.
~~~
Teagan was both glad and sad to have her back to Aaron. Glad because it gave her time to get over the shock of the deep red material against his olive-toned skin and his trim waist; sad because she couldn’t stare at him for a few more seconds and drink in the male she would never be able to have.
Life had been simpler before becoming clan leader. Five years ago, if she saw a male she fancied, she could’ve slept with him and thought nothing of it. In the present, any attention she displayed would be scrutinized by the clan. Even if the male in question didn’t run away screaming, he might eventually grow tired of being second to a female in public.
It was simpler to just ignore males in general.
Her dragon huffed. Let’s see how the evening goes. You responded to the idea of kissing him earlier.
That was a fancy, nothing more. There are more important things to worry about this evening.
Her beast paused a second. Fine, but you might want to acknowledge Aaron’s role in the plan to host a challenge with the other leaders. It will go a long way towards having a stronger alliance.
I’m not a novice. Of course I’m going to acknowledge him, albeit not quite so directly.
I wasn’t sure since it meant he could lord it over you in private.
She nearly told her beast that Teagan rather enjoyed teasing the male, but resisted as she reached the long table on the raised dais. Turning, she motioned to specific seats. “Aaron will sit next to me, and Brenna will sit next to Killian.”
Brenna stiffened a second, but then smiled. “I’m sure my cousin will be honored.”
Teagan looked between the pair. Apart from the same dark hair and olive skin tone, there were no other similarities. “You’re cousins?”
Aaron nodded. “Aye, but distant ones.”
When he said nothing else, Teagan cleared her throat. “We should take our seats. I’ll be officially starting the event soon.”
After Brenna and Aaron shared a glance, they parted. As Aaron walked toward her, his gaze never wavered.
Something about the determination and strength in his dark brown eyes nearly made her shiver.
Her beast snorted. This will be fun to watch.
Once Aaron sat next to her, she leaned over to murmur, “Before I say anything to the clan, I wanted to tell you that I’m going with your plan.”
He leaned closer and it took everything Teagan had to focus on his words instead of the spicy male scent that filled her nose. “As you should. It’s the only way forward, really.”
His words cut through her appreciating his closeness and snapped her back into her role as clan leader. “There are several ways to handle the situation. I just look forward to one of the males challenging me so I can win and revel in the disbelief on his face.”
Aaron raised his brows. “Maybe you should practice with me first, just to refresh your skills. After all, clan leaders tend to go a bit soft once they assume leadership.”
She raised an eyebrow. “I can practice with Killian and the others, like I do on a regular basis, I might add.”
He leaned a fraction closer and her heart rate ticked up at the heat radiating from his body. “You can, but it won’t help you prepare properly. You already defeated the strongest members of your clan. What you need is a new challenger. I’ve never participated in a leadership trial myself because being leader involves too much diplomacy and paperwork, but I like to think I would have a fighting chance if I tried.”
“You’ll lose, of course. Can your ego handle losing to a female?”
He smiled slowly. “The bigger question is, can yours accept losing to a foreigner?”
She raised her brows. “That’s rather presumptuous.”
He shrugged. “I’m good at what I do, even if I’m a tad more impatient than my head Protector likes.”
Her dragon chimed in. Challenge him. It’ll be brilliant to stand over him and have him admit defeat. Then we can claim our prize. One night of passion should do the trick.
Aaron’s voice prevented her from replying. “Care to tell me what your dragon is saying?”
Teagan pulled away and sat up straight. “No. We can discuss it later. My brother is signaling that it’s time to begin.”
To his credit, Aaron merely nodded and fell silent. It seemed he could follow orders when it came to important matters.
Once the doors to the great hall clicked closed, Teagan stood and walked to the front of the dais. Despite the fact an entire table of people would be staring at her from behind, she sensed Aaron’s gaze on her arse. Her traitorous body warmed at the idea.
Pushing away what was only a response to a handsome male’s attention, she raised her voice. “Everyone, welcome.” The remaining chatter died and she continued, “Tonight we officially welcome Stonefire’s representative and Protector, Aaron Caruso, to the clan. While most of you have already warmed up to Brenna from Stonefire, I hope you do the same with Aaron. He’s here to learn and help when needed.”
Someone shouted from the crowd, “We don’t need outsiders to help us.”
Teagan didn’t miss a beat. “I know that we’ve lived isolated for many years out of necessity. However, me being clan leader has leaked. And I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of living a lie and maintaining a ruse. Glenlough has a long tradition of female leaders and other clans should accept that. Having allies at our back will only help us in the long run.” A murmur went through the crowd, and Teagan decided to just share the rest. “But I do want to assure you that Killian, Aaron, and I have a plan of how to deal with the other Irish clans. I’m going to invite the other Irish leaders to a clan leader challenge.”
Roars and shouting greeted her ears. Teagan held up a fist and waited until the room was mostly quiet again. “This is the best way to handle them. Otherwise, we’ll be fighting with them for who knows how many years. Once that happens, Northcastle might pounce and take advantage of the chaos. I’d rather show the other leaders what I’m made of and then reach out to Northcastle as a potential strong ally.”
A male shouted, “Northcastle is full of wankers. We don’t need them.”
Teagan answered without hesitation. “If that’s true, then are we to sit back and watch as more and more of our clan run away with Northcastle mates? Allowing dragon-shifters to claim mates freely from anywhere in Ireland, North or South, is essential to our long-term survival. Many of us have distant relatives in Northcastle. It would be nice to see them, don’t you think?”
A few people replied grudgingly in the affirmative, while others still protested. Teagan had known this part would be tricky. She raised a fist and waited for complete silence before she spoke up again. “However, doing anything with Northcastle is secondary to me fighting for my right to lead Glenlough. And not just for me, but for the future of other clans, too. Many of you remember my grandmother’s time as clan leader. She helped us survive the human Troubles as well as strengthen our clan when the economy devastated many others in our country. Females have the right to be a leader as much as any male.”
She paused as a roar of agreement echoed inside the hall. With everyone back on her side, she pushed toward the end. “But in order to prove how capable females can be, I’m going to need the support of my clan. Your cheers and faith in me will give me the extra strength I need to ensure no one perceives us as weaker ever again. Who’s with me?”
For a split second, as silence stretched, Teagan wondered if she’d made a mistake. Then cheers and shouts rose in encouragement.
Her beast hummed. Of course they support us or we would’ve had another challenge long before now.
Logically, I know that. Still, I don’t like to take our clan and their support for granted.
Raising her fist for the last time, the noise died down. “Right, then I have one more request. For the next few weeks, I need you all to only petition an audience with me if it’s truly important. Killian will also assist with settling disputes until this is over so I can focus on the upcoming challenge. I have faith that Glenlough will have my back. Am I correct?” A resounding yes rolled through the crowd. “Then enjoy the celebrations tonight! If I have any say in the matter, we should be having another one before too much longer to celebrate showing the other clans that a female has as much right to lead as a male.”
There were a few more cheers, and Teagan waved to certain members of the audience. As people sat down and started to dish out food from the serving platters that sat in the middle of the tables, she turned around and let out the breath she’d been holding. The first set of eyes she found were Aaron’s dark brown ones. He gave an almost imperceptible nod, and she returned the gesture.
Not that she knew why she did it. Aaron’s approval wasn’t important in the grander scheme of things.
Before her dragon could go on about why it should matter, Teagan took her seat and reached for her glass of wine. She took a sip and Aaron leaned over to whisper, “I look forward to facing the strong female who just rallied her clan’s support. Outsmarting you will be a worthwhile puzzle.”
After swallowing the smooth red wine, she turned toward him. “Do my ears deceive me or was that almost a compliment?”
He winked. “Don’t get used to it. But I’m big enough to admit when someone’s doing a good job. I’ll leave any greater compliments until I face you and see what you’re made of.”
Aaron’s words should needle her ego, but instead, it made her anxious to get started. “And you shall. How about twenty minutes after dawn? Unless that’s too early for you.”
“That depends. Do I get coffee beforehand or not?”
“I’m tempted to say no, but I want you at your best for my win. So drink as much as you like. I love mornings, so I may fly a few laps whilst waiting.”
He grunted. “Just tell me where and I’ll be there.”
She smiled and picked up her wineglass again. “I think I’ll keep you in suspense for a little while longer. That way you’ll have to stay and participate in your welcoming celebration.”
Aaron’s gaze swept the room. “I’m not one for small talk and diplomacy.” He looked back to her. “Trust me, you should be urging me to leave as soon as possible before I start a war between our clans.”
She shrugged. “I don’t know about Stonefire, but this is Glenlough. We prefer honesty.”
“I somehow doubt you lot always take honesty with a smile and nod.”
“Of course not. But the ensuing consequences can be fun. The only real rules are to not permanently maim or kill anyone.”
He raised his brows. “Those might be famous last words.”
She waved a hand in dismissal. “All of that isn’t important right now. What you should be worried about is that you’re expected to dance tonight.”
“If you think I’m going to flail my legs and look the fool, then I promise you I’ll be kicking more than one person this evening.”
She snorted. “We have a lot of the same traditional dragon-shifter dances you do, so stop moaning. I’ll let you know when it’s time for you to show everyone what you’re made of. Once you do a few dances, then I’ll tell you the location for tomorrow morning.”
“You’re devious.”
She sipped her wine. “You say that as if it’s a bad thing.”
Aaron opened his mouth to reply, but one of her advisors called her name and Teagan went to the end of the table to talk with him.
Still, as she listened to the male, her eyes kept darting toward another. Aaron Caruso was starting to shatter her initial opinions of him. Maybe she’d see the carefree, teasing version of him yet.
And maybe she would take up her dragon’s suggestion of a little fun while Aaron was there. She’d just need to make sure he understood it was temporary and that no matter what happened, he wouldn’t sever the alliance because of it.
Her beast gloated, but Teagan ignored her to focus back on her advisor. Taking care of her clan would always be her top priority, even if it meant an isolated existence to carry out her duties.