The Imprisoned Dragon and the Witch (18 page)

If he had mated a human, or a Witch, he would be giving her his blood on a regular basis, to keep her youthful and healthy. However, Starr was a Dragon with a longevity that almost matched his own, so the only time she had ingested his blood was at the very beginning when they first mated. To seal their bond. Other than that, she had only tiny amounts when their lovemaking was rather “wild” and she bit him deeper than she realized

He smiled as he remembered one of those times, “wild” didn’t even come close to
that
night. He allowed his blood to continue to flow into her mouth, making sure she consumed as much as he could get into her. Knowing it should start to work very soon, he kept his eyes trained on Starr. His hearing picking up her heart as it beat slowly in her bruised chest.

Another few minutes passed, and he was on the verge of panic, when he heard, felt and saw the change. Her heart rate picked up a little, seeming to beat stronger, her color lost some of the pallor and her eyes started to flutter. Pulling his wrist away, he sat beside her, a hand tracing her jaw. “Starr, wake up. You need to wake up.”

Her lids fluttered again, opening slowly, her eyes unfocused as she tried to smile. “Fang, where are we? What’s going on?”

Ronan let out the breath that he had been holding, relief flooding his system. “We’re at the ranch. I couldn’t wake you so I gave you some of my blood. How’re you feeling?”

She tried to move but he held her down. “No, stay there, you need to rest.”

Starr groaned, “Shit! I’m sore. I need to go Dragon to heal properly.”

He watched as pain lanced through her, evident in her face as she tensed. “It’s still daylight and although we’re quite a ways from anything, I don’t think it’s a good idea you flying around right now. Can you wait? If not, then I’ll carry you outside right now and if anyone sees you we’ll put it down to some drunk induced Vegas nightmare.”

Her eyes twinkled with suppressed laughter. “It’s okay, I think your blood is helping, so we can wait for a bit.”

“Do you want anything? To eat or drink?”

She shook her head, “No, later, once I’ve healed a bit.”

Ronan stood up, “I’ll go and let the housekeeper know what’s going on and to have a meal ready for you later. I won’t be long, just rest.”

As he walked out of the room he felt as if his heart had been released from a vise. Earlier, the thought of losing her almost bringing him to his knees. A frisson of anger reared its ugly head again as he went down to find Margaret.

Chapter 18

Finbar was in the kitchen with his mate, Margaret, laughing and joking as Ronan entered. They stopped, turning to him, “How is she?” Margaret asked, her face now showing some worry.

“Awake. Finbar, thank you. Starr is a Dragon I don’t have to give her my blood to keep her young, or healthy. I completely didn’t think to do it and I should have, it was stupid of me and I’m thankful you reminded me.”

The Irishman just nodded as Ronan addressed Margaret. “Starr will be going Dragon as soon as daylight starts to wane and after that she’ll be needing food. She eats just ‘bout anything but does like meat, any kind and she has a rather large sweet tooth, too.” He smiled down at the small woman, knowing her nickname, Cookie, was because of all the sweet cookies she baked on a daily basis.

“Well, now, I’m sure I can rustle something up and you know there’s always a stash of my cookies lying around somewhere. Now, is there anything else I can get for either of you?” Margaret started to busy herself in the large kitchen, checking the fridge and then nodding as if to herself.

“Not just now, but I’m pretty sure I’m gonna need a few shots of a decent bourbon later on. In the meantime, I’ll get back upstairs and leave you alone.” He left the kitchen, slowly making his way back upstairs.

As he went he knew that he would have to talk to Starr, once she was properly healed, regarding his simmering anger. He didn’t look forward to
that
conversation but knew if he didn’t get it off his chest it would fester and grow. Although they’d had “differences of opinions” before, they had not truly had an argument. He wondered if this would be their first.

When he entered their room he saw Starr was sitting up, still pale but not nearly as bad as she was earlier. She smiled but he noted the tension around her eyes. “How’re you feeling?” he asked as he moved to start unpacking their cases.

“Ronan, look at me,” she spoke quietly and he stopped, turning to face her.

“I can feel it. The anger. It’s rolling off you in waves...”

He frowned, cutting her off. “Not now, Starr.” And he went back to emptying the cases, hanging clothes up in the closet and taking Starr’s toiletries and make-up through to the large, attached bath.

“When? When will we talk about it?” her voice followed him as he placed his hands onto the marble sink, looking at himself in the mirror.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself he rejoined her. “When you’re healthy and healed. Not before.”

Her eyes violet eyes shimmered, filling with tears as he fought down the urge to have it out with her. “Starr, we’ll talk tomorrow.”

He carried on unpacking, Starr watched him, until everything was done and he placed the two empty cases in the back of the closet. When he came out he noticed the sky darkening, night was falling quickly. “Ready?” he asked as he moved to the bed, picking her up and holding her close.

“I can walk,” she complained as he carried her.

“Not happening,” was all he said.

Her hands held onto him, her head on his shoulder while he carried her downstairs. Margaret’s voice halting him at the front door. “Sorry, Ronan, Finbar asked if you could take Starr out back. He’s worried that a Dragon will spook his horses and you know how he is with his beasts.”

Starr smiled, “Hi,” she said as Margaret joined them.

“Hello, I’m Margaret and I’ll be looking after you two while you’re visiting. I know this might not be proper, but, is it okay if I come out and watch? I’ve never seen a Dragon and, truth be told, I thought they were myths. If you prefer me not to that’s fine.”

Ronan fumbled with the door, opening it and carrying on as Starr answered, “That’s okay, you can come see, just stay well back. I wouldn’t want to hurt you by accident. My Dragon is rather big.”

Finbar stood to the side of the house, watching silently, as Ronan carried Starr round to the back. “Stay here,” he said to Margaret as he walked on, another twenty yards or so then stopped.

“Here okay?” he asked and Starr nodded.

“You need to put me down and move back or I’ll squash you,” she said sheepishly.

“Oh right, yeah, sorry.” He placed her on her feet, noting she was a little wobbly, as he moved back,

“I’m not flying, just gonna change and lie here for a bit to heal.” She tried a smile but failed.

He knew his own face was locked up tight, trying not to show his feelings. That darn anger still bubbling away inside him.

Starr grimaced once as she straightened up, concentration on her face. Her body shimmered for a moment or two longer than was normal before her great beast appeared. Margaret’s voice seeming loud in the silence around them.

“Oh, dear goodness! She’s huge, and beautiful. Finbar, look, a Dragon!” she shouted out to her mate as Ronan turned, seeing the wonder on the woman’s face as she stared at his mate.

“I see it, Maggie, I see it.” Finbar’s own voice was more animated than normal.

“Guess it affects everyone the first time they see a Dragon.”
Ronan thought as he turned back to Starr.

Her beast lay down, it’s immense wings flattened against her sides as she lay her long neck down to rest her head on the ground. Seeing her like this he made a decision.

Walking forward then sitting down in front of the Dragon’s head he reached forward, running a hand down between its eyes. “Starr, I’m gonna talk now. You’re to stay Dragon and just listen. Okay?”

The beast snorted, which he took as her agreement, so he started, trying to word things right. “I’m angry, Starr, angry as hell. I nearly lost you and I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. I only
felt
and it was horrendous. Terrifying, awful, sickening and a host of other feelings. You put yourself in danger when we had agreed you would not do that. You completely disregarded what we had said and, in doing that, you got hurt, badly. If Esther and Judith hadn’t been there, I’m pretty sure I would’ve lost you.”

He stopped as his throat almost seized up, taking several deep breaths before continuing. “We’re mated, bonded for life and you are now a
part
of me. I would not be whole without you. Truth is, I don’t think I’d be able to go on if you died. So, Starr, you don’t have the right to do what you did. You don’t have the
right
to make me feel the way you did; just because you didn’t follow orders.”

The Dragon’s snout nuzzled his hand, its warm breath caressing his skin. He petted it and carried on. “You can’t do anything like that again. Not ever. You and I are one, Starr. So, when you do something foolhardy, it’s not just you it affects. You cannot, under any circumstances, disobey orders again. If you do, then you will be banned from going on any missions at all. Your disregard for orders, if you were anyone else, would have severe consequences. As it is, they are even more dangerous because they directly affect not just you. I feel your pain. I feel your fear. I feel
you
!”

Again the Dragon nuzzled him, this time its huge head rubbing against his body. “I would ask you, while you’re like this, to just think. Think how you would feel if I had been hurt as bad. Think how you would feel if I had been killed.”

The low keening sound that spilled from the Dragon’s mouth told Ronan what Starr thought of that. “See, that’s what I’m talking about. We have a responsibility to each other. Not to take unnecessary chances, not to go against orders or well thought out plans,
not
to put ourselves in uncalled-for danger. I don’t think either of us would survive without the other now,
Mo shíorghrá
.”

Ronan sighed, his words exorcising him of the anger that he had kept within. “I hope you understand. I love you with every fiber of my being and I couldn’t help but be angry as you were injured only because you ignored orders. I tried to tamp it down, but it wouldn’t go. I thought we were going to have a huge argument so I hope, when you change back, that we don’t. I do not want to argue with you. I don’t want to hurt you with my anger. But, I
do
want you to know the depth of the consequences if this happens again. I love you, Puff, more than words will ever be able to convey.”

He leaned forward, placing his forehead against the scales of the Dragon, staring into its violet eyes. “Heal fast, Puff, I want to hold you in my arms.”

His little speech was cathartic, his heart feeling more at peace, and his anger gone. He hoped Starr understood and they didn’t have an argument when she changed back. He didn’t want to argue, he really didn’t, but he wasn’t sure how she would react at his words. She was more than a little feisty and their “discussions” sometimes got a little heated, but they had never had a full blown argument. He didn’t relish that thought at all.

He continued to stroke the scales of the magnificent beast as it lay quietly, soft breathes snorting out its snout and its eyes now closed. Ronan was pretty sure it was sound asleep. Staying right beside it, he went over what he had said, wondering if he could have put things better. Hoping his words could make her understand.

He heard Margaret come out several times to check on them and Finbar ushering her back inside. “They’ll be in when they’re in, Maggie.”

It was quite late before the Dragon roused, snorting and scrambling to stand up. Shaking its body from scaly snout to the tip of its barbed tail before letting out a bellow. As Ronan rose quickly to his feet, there was a shimmer and the beast disappeared, Starr standing in its place.

“You okay?” he asked as she stared at him and he waited to see if she would explode at him.

She nodded once before moving into his arms. “I really am sorry. I didn’t think, just reacted, but I’ll try and not let it happen again.”

Placing a kiss on the top of her head, he smiled. “I know, baby, I know you didn’t do it on purpose, but if you ever want to disobey orders on a mission again, well, all I ask is that you remember how yesterday and today has made us both feel.”

“Ronan, when you said that, ‘bout me thinking of losing you, I got what you meant. It would
kill
me.”

He started walking back to the house, keeping Starr close to his side. “Exactly, Puff. So, let’s put it behind us. How are you feeling?”

She gave him a grin as she looked up into his eyes. “Oh, I’m fine, just a little bit sore now but all the serious damage has been repaired. I think I had some sort of internal bleeding that Esther missed. If you hadn’t given me your blood, I dread to think what would’ve happened.”

Ronan’s stomach clenched tightly at this admission. “I think we’ve both learned things from this. Let’s get you something to eat. Margaret’s been hovering about checking up on you and I’m sure she’ll have something ready.”

He was right. The minute they walked in Margaret led them to the dining room where the table was set up for one with a bottle of bourbon and a glass set across from it. He gave her a quick smile before she disappeared into the kitchen, returning with a plate piled high with food.

“I hope you like chicken stew and dumplings. It’s good and warm for you and there’s chocolate cake for dessert. Do you want wine? Or something else to drink?”

Ronan smirked as Starr stared at the huge portion of food. She looked up at Margaret, shaking her head. “No wine, just a soft drink please, whatever you have will be fine.”

Margaret was back in seconds, a bottle of water in one hand and a diet soda in a glass in her other. “Here, you can choose.”

As the woman left, Starr eyed the plate, “Am I supposed to eat all this?” she asked.

“Eat what you want, but you do need building up. You’re getting kinda skinny there, Puff.”

He held in his laughter at her shocked face as she started to eat. “Skinny?” she mumbled around her food.

“Just a little,” he replied with a straight face.

“Hmmph!” she said as she continued to eat.

He watched as she scoffed down far more than he thought she would manage, also eating half of the cake that was placed in front of her for dessert. Finally she pushed the plate away.

“I’m stuffed. I couldn’t eat another thing. Thank you, Margaret!” she shouted the last part towards the kitchen which resulted in Margaret coming and clearing the table, a smile on her face.

Once they were alone, he stood, “Come on, we’ll go and sit somewhere more comfy.”

He led her to the lounge area, sitting down on one of the lavish sofas and pulling her onto his lap. “So, are you completely healed? Or not?”

She cuddled into him, “’Bout ninety percent I think. Or thereabouts, why?”

He nuzzled her neck, placing soft kisses along the skin. “No reason, just asking.”

Starr squirmed on his lap, feeling his “reason” clearly. “Yeah? So if we went upstairs and I take a nice, long, hot shower, you’re telling me you won’t join me? Wash me in hot soapy water?”

The groan that came from him unbidden told his mate exactly how that thought affected him. “Well it depends, if you strip off and you’re covered in bruises, then I’ll be going into another room for a very, very cold shower!”

“Only one way to find out, Fang,” she whispered into his ear, her breath causing his arousal to harden even more.