Aldain suddenly jerked straight up, his eyes had a faraway look to them. Tori knew he was getting a mental message from his friend Malcolm because she could hear it too, but it sounded garbled. Tori knew in time she would have the same ability but it was still too new for any kind of mental message to be clear to her yet.
He was frowning. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
He had a thunderous look on his face; it scared her. “Nothing for you to worry about my love. There is someone sneaking around at the glen, a trespasser. I must leave for a very brief time but you must stay here where you will be safe. I promise you I won’t be long.” He wasn’t sure who the trespasser was but he was sure he would be found and taken care of shortly.
Normally someone unknown on the glen wouldn’t have been a cause for concern. All anyone had to do was ask permission and he would have gladly allowed them to enjoy the glen. But this individual never stopped to ask permission, he was seen sneaking in and out of the small forest surrounding it. That worried him.
He grabbed Tori and kissed her and told her he wouldn’t be long. He shifted and flew down into the open part of the glen. He knew that Tori’s parents and Carrie were inside the castle. Malcolm had insisted they go inside to make sure they remained safe and he put a guard to every doorway.
Malcolm walked quickly over to Aldain as he handed him some clothes. “He was seen several times just on the outskirts of the forest and he was recognized by one of the men so we know who it is.” Aldain stiffened as he was told who was trespassing on his property. “It is Alec Russell.”
Aldain’s body froze, his heart started pounding in his chest. “My god, he is a shifter and I left Tori alone. I must get back to her! If you find him, keep him here, I want to take care of that bastard myself.” He immediately shimmered into his dragon and took off for the cave, praying Tori was still safe and out of harm’s way.
Several minutes after Aldain left, Tori heard footsteps at the entrance to the cave. She smiled thinking, that didn’t take long. She turned her head to welcome him back and when she saw who was standing there the smile left her face. She blinked several times in disbelief when she saw Alec Russell standing there. He had a malicious look in his eyes.
All her repressed memories started rushing back with him trying to rape her at the clan gathering and she was running away from him. She now remembered all of it, even running in front of the horses. Her body shook with terror and rage because she was alone with him. She looked around for something to use as a weapon. If she could keep him away for a short time, she knew Aldain would feel her fear and be there shortly.
Alec started to walk slowly towards her. “Well well, how lucky am I? Here I am thinking I would have to fight your mate for you and you are here alone. Unprotected.” He said as his smile widened at what he alleged as his good luck. Tori slowly backed away from him. She remembered seeing a small dagger in Aldain’s back pack and she managed to grab it. It was at the end of the bed under the covers; she was able to retrieve it without Alec noticing.
She had it hid in her hand when she got up from the bed. She opened her mouth to say something to him but when she started to speak she noticed a tremor in her voice. She took a deep breath before she said anything else. There was no way she was going to show this asshole she was afraid of him. “If I were you I would leave while you have the chance. You know Aldain will kill you if he finds you here.” Alec moved so quickly he was like a blur.
Before she knew it, he was standing directly in front of her. He moved with lightning speed. “Ah but my bonnie lass I won’t be here and neither will you. We will be gone before he can get here.” To Tori’s horror he shifted and grabbed her in his huge claw, running towards the cave opening.
There was no way she was going to let him take her away if she could help it. She screamed, “Let go of me you fucking overgrown lizard!” as she shoved the dagger deeply into his claw. He roared as he dropped her.
Tori was scrabbling backwards like a crab when she heard a powerful roar outside. Aldain had felt her terror and knew she was in trouble. She needed him now more than any other time. His dragon was set on killing Alec and Tori made sure she was out of the way when Aldain landed on the ledge to the cave.
Aldain didn’t waste any time charging for Alec. Alec had time to take a breath and spew fire at him. Aldain’s scales kept much of his body safe from the fire for they acted like armor. Aldain had no intentions of making this a long drawn out fight. He was going to find Alec’s weakest point and destroy him.
Alec was trying to make Aldain circle him. He knew if he could get in front of the entrance he could turn and run but Aldain refused to give him that chance. He knew what Alec was trying to do, he would have to go through him to get to the entrance. He knew he was larger and stronger than Alec. He also knew Alec for the coward that he was.
When Alec realized Aldain wasn’t going to give him a way out, he knew this was going to be a fight that was going to end in someone’s death. He was determined it wasn’t going to be his; he would do whatever it took to win this fight. Aldain leaped towards Alec with his teeth barely missing his head as Alec moved away. Alec sprang at Aldain’s stomach and he moved his body sideways just as he saw him coming.
Tori was squatting on the floor watching these two dragons fighting in earnest. She knew one of them was going to die. She just kept sending all her love and strength from her body into Aldain, hoping he could feel them. She still held the dagger firmly in her grasp hoping to get a chance when she could use it. She wasn’t sure if there were many weak spots on a dragon but as she watched them fight she was looking to see if she could find one.
She saw Alec bury his teeth into Aldain’s side and blood began to run freely down it. It didn’t seem to slow him down, Aldain roared as he swiped at Alecs stomach. He wasn’t fast enough and Alec roared in pain as Aldain’s talons ripped into him. Blood was running freely from both as the fighting continued.
Aldain grabbed Alec’s neck with his teeth and bit down hard. Alec’s dragon roared in pain. He moved his neck back in an upward thrust and managed to extricate himself. He also noticed he was facing the opening to the cave. He was weakened but he had enough strength to make it to the ledge and take off. As Alec barreled towards it, he quickly grabbed Tori on the way. He couldn’t help but turn around to show Aldain he held his most precious possession. He had his talon wrapped around her and held her up close to his face. He wanted to make sure Aldain knew if he tried anything she was only inches from his mouth. He wouldn’t think twice of popping her in his mouth and crushing her.
Aldain roared with rage because he knew Alec had the upper hand. He wouldn’t move as long as he held Tori in his grasp. Alec’s hold on Tori wasn’t as tight as it should have been; he wasn’t expecting what happened next.
With lightning speed Tori reached up and buried her dagger deep into Alec’s eye. He roared in pain and dropped her as his talon reached up to remove it. This gave Aldain the opening he needed.
Tori moved out of the way as Aldain moved with lightning speed towards Alec. He grabbed Alec’s neck with his mouth and moved his talon over his chest. Tori wasn’t sure exactly what he was doing as their bodies were close together. She saw Alec’s body jerk with each thrust of Aldain’s talon movement. Alec was screaming as she saw blood flowing like water from his chest. Finally, there was silence and Alec slumped to the floor, dead.
She looked at Aldain, he was gasping for air, but in his talon, he was holding something. As she looked closer she realized he was holding Alec’s heart. The shock of everything was too much for Tori, she fainted in a heap at his feet.
After she had fainted, Aldain shifted back to a man. He managed to pick her up and put her on the bed. In seconds, after the fight was over several of his regiment had shown up in their dragon forms. They got there just in time to watch Aldain throw Alec’s heart on the ground. Malcolm told his men to get rid of the offal stinking up the mouth of the cave. Alec’s body disappeared.
Aldain was so worried about Tori that he didn’t notice Malcolm beside him. He had some wounds and even though he was a dragon, it always helped the healing process to take care of any major wounds. Aldain had several but he was unaware of them because his entire being was concentrating on Tori. He had to know if she had just fainted to ensure that there wasn’t something else wrong with her.
Malcolm touched Aldain’s shoulder.” She is fine my friend. Listen to her heart for it beats steady and strong.” Aldain concentrated on her heart, he could hear it beat in his mind. It was as strong as Malcolm had said it was. He slumped his shoulders and leaned back on the bed. Now that he stopped worrying about Tori he could feel the after effects of his fight. His entire body ached and his side felt like it was on fire. He gingerly touched it and noticed he had lost more blood than he thought and he had a nasty looking gash in it. He nodded his head to Malcolm to go and do what he could for him. He closed his eyes under his friends’ treatment because he needed to rest for just a little while.
As Tori was coming back to consciousness she heard voices. At first, they sounded far away but the more alert she became the better she was able to hear them. She felt a hand on her forehead; someone’s thumb was rubbing around it in circles. She opened her eyes and blinked then noticed Aldain sitting on the bed beside her, he had bandages around his side.
Aldain noticed she was stirring beside him. He stopped what he was saying and looked down at her. Relief washed over his face as he saw her eyes staring up at him. “Mo ghaol, how are you feeling?” In his relief that Tory was awake he had forgotten she didn’t know Gaelic.
She gave him a questioning look. “I’m not sure, what did you just call me?”
He smiled, “It is Gaelic for ‘My Love!’
Tory smiled, she was going to have someone teach her his language. Not knowing it sure put her at a disadvantage.
“I am fine Dain,” she said as she reached up and touched his face. “My knight in shining armor was there to save the day. I remember what happened at the clan gathering the day the horses ran over me. Alec appeared right after Robert left and he tried to rape me. I panicked so badly that I reverted back to my memory of Tom beating me and all I could think of was getting away from him. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was running. I just ran.”
Aldain clenched his jaw. If he would have known that, he would have killed Alec that night. A feeling of rage coursed through his body and he turned away from her trying to get control of himself. Alec was dead and Tory was safe, that’s all that mattered now. He cradled her in his arms to let her know she was safe. Her body was shaking as she told him what she remembered, the warmth from his body helped calm her fears. Her body finally stopped shaking and with a sigh she closed her eyes again, this time to a tranquil sleep.
The people at the castle had heard what had happened to Aldain and Tory. They were waiting to see both of them, they had to see for themselves they were not badly wounded. Cade and Becca could have run to the cave in minutes but Malcolm posted guards at the mouth of it. He was adamant that no one bother them as they recuperated. He said she would just have to trust him.
Becca didn’t think it would be wise to stand their ground against several dragon shifters, but she fumed and threw Malcolm a look that would have made a mortal man fear for his life.
As Aldain and Tory were convalescing everyone at the castle tried to stay busy. Her mother put together fruit and veggie trays for her and found out what foods Aldain liked so she and Becca could make some of his favorite meals. In an earlier conversation Aldain had mentioned to Andrew how he was going to make a vegetable garden for Tori, so he spent his time finding a good spot and was out hoeing the area. He planned to fence it in when he was finished.
Malcolm found himself drawn to Tori’s friend Cassie. Cassie seemed the oddball, she was basically kicked out of the kitchen. Becca hated a crowded kitchen while she was cooking so having her mother help her was all she needed. Aldain had house staff that took care of cleaning inside the castle and a gardener that took care of outside. She really didn’t have anything to do.
Malcolm took pity on her so he offered to take her on walks throughout the garden and the glen. He checked on his friends daily but after that he gave her all of his attention.
He was mesmerized by her chestnut colored hair. Her lips were full and made him wonder how they would feel under his. She had freckles across the bridge of her nose and was perfectly proportioned with a tiny frame. He felt like a giant next to her. His protective instinct came to the forefront when he was around her.
Heather, Aldain’s mother, would always look at them with a knowing smile upon her face. She wondered how long it would take before Malcolm realized that he too had found his mate. She contemplated telling him herself but decided he needed to find out on his own. She knew if everything went as it should there would be another wedding soon and Tori’s friend wouldn’t be going back to the states.
Several days had passed and Tori and Aldain were going home. Aldain’s wounds were completely healed, you couldn’t even see a scar on his side. Tori just enjoyed being with him as he convalesced. As much as she enjoyed their time together, she really wanted to get back to the castle. Her parents and Cassie were going to leave soon and she wanted to spend their final days with them.
Malcolm made sure everyone was tucked inside the castle when they flew into the glen. He had left clothes for them in a backpack inside a small grove of trees. They dressed quickly and walked to the castle hand in hand. It felt good to be heading home. The good memories they had of their cave overshadowed the bad, but they both felt the need to be around people. Humans and dragons were both social creatures. They both missed friends and family. Aldain was surprised that he missed as many people as he did. Being married to Tori was starting to change him in so many ways and it was all good as far as he was concerned.
They walked through the door and everyone converged on them at once. Tori’s mother started to cry and hugged her like she was a little girl; it was extremely comforting to her. After her mother finally let go of her, her father gathered her into his arms. He said in a choked-up voice. “My baby, My baby. I am so glad you are safe.” Tori’s eyes welled up with tears. She could never before remember seeing her father being so emotional. Tori made the rounds hugging and being hugged by everyone.
Aldain was being hugged almost as much. His mother was the first person to grab him. Her body shook with emotion, knowing her son came close to being killed. She tried not to cry but fought a losing battle as tears streamed down her face hugging him to her tightly. Aldain ran his hand down her hair, “Shhh ma I am fine. Please don’t cry. You know I hate it when you do.”
Heather couldn’t help herself, his remark made her chuckle. When her husband died and she thought she was alone and her tears were falling, Aldain would catch her and hug her close. He would do anything to make her stop crying because it tore his heart out to see her sad.
Andrew and Cade gave him quick hugs also. It was their way of showing him how much they cared about his well-being. They were men so weren’t going to bear hug him, but it warranted more than the normal handshake.
Everyone wanted to hear about the fight but Malcolm refused to give any kind of elaboration. He didn’t feel it was his place to go into detail. The most he said was that Alec was dead by Aldain’s hands. If they wanted to know more they would have to hear it from Aldain.
Aldain skirted over some of the details; he told them enough to placate them. He felt uncomfortable as all the women looked at him with hero worship in their eyes. He did what any dragon would do for his mate; there was nothing more to it. He got a look on his face that had his friend Malcolm smiling a huge smile at him. It wasn’t often he saw Aldain looking like he wanted to run. He was enjoying his discomfort though he would never admit it to anyone.
They all sat down to the exquisite meal Becca and Amanda had fixed for them. Aldain would never say this in front of his mother, but he thought Becca’s meals tasted better than hers. He would go to the grave with that thought.
After the meal, Andrew took Aldain out to see the vegetable garden that he had made for Tori, Aldain was impressed. Andrew had picked a prime growing spot that he knew Tori was going to love. He thanked Andrew and again Andrew looked at Aldain,” I was going crazy with the two of you somewhere we couldn’t go. It is the least I could do. Besides this is one of those times actions speak louder than words.” Aldain knew this was Andrew’s way of telling him how much he cared for them. It gave Aldain a warm feeling as he cleared his throat when they were heading back to the castle.
A few days later, Tori’s parents were getting ready to go to the airport. It was time for them to go home. Tori was going to miss them, but she knew she could see them anytime she wanted. They promised her they would come see her whenever her father could get time off work. She sighed. The surprising moment came when Cassie told her that she wasn’t leaving just yet.
Malcolm had invited her to the island because he wanted to show her around. Cassie was gone so long she was sure she didn’t have a job to go back to and oddly enough she really didn’t care. She felt something for Malcolm and wanted to get to know him better. He told her he had plenty of money so he would take care of all her needs. At first, she wasn’t sure she liked that idea but Heather told her it was the Scottish way and if she didn’t let him take care of her it would be an insult to him. Cassie didn’t want to insult him so she agreed.
Tori squealed with delight when she heard this. She told Cassie when she was done spending time with Malcolm she could stay with her at the castle as it had plenty of bedrooms; she could choose one as her own.
She looked at Aldain after she invited her. He smiled, “Absolutely you can stay here.” He had said to Cassie that he had a feeling he would be seeing much more of Malcolm now that she was here.
His family was growing and it made him feel wholesome and happy. He basked in the feeling of it. Only time would tell how much more it was going to grow; Aldain smiled in anticipation. ‘The more, the merrier’ he thought
End of Book 1
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