WickedBeast (26 page)

“I’m not God. My capacity for forgiveness isn’t in question.
Besides, you didn’t do it personally. Humans created the problem. As I
understand it, dragons were created by greedy humans for the purpose of
enslaving the world under a human’s control. It seems to me you’re holding a
grudge for God, it’s rather vain of you to assume you carry God’s judgment for
an entire species you didn’t create.

“You are part of the solution in a plan you admit God
approved. Get over yourself, Cord,” Kelly finished and let go of his hand to go
play in the sand with Minuet.

Cord remained where she left him, his arms crossed as he
stood guard. His eyes quartered the area in relentless precision as his mind turned
over her words.

About a mile away another couple was arguing, completely
ignoring their two children who were playing close to a little cliff over the
lake. Cord wanted to be totally absorbed in his own problems, but he couldn’t
stop watching the eight-year-old boy who was teasing his younger sister as
mercilessly as his father was disrespecting the mother.

He was aware of that group as well as every other human in
the area. It was not difficult, a natural function of his abilities. That
situation was becoming critical though. One more step and the little girl was
going over the edge backward, head first. Below her, the shore was rocky, no
soft sandy beach.

He had several options. Forcing the parents to look up at
their children would just transfer the stress they were indulging. The anger
would be turned on the children. Nothing in the family situation would change.
More likely the obvious negative spiral would continue, creating a sullen,
destructive teenager of the boy and a defensive mouse of the girl.

His other option would shock the parents. It would still be
their choice, but it opened a possibility for a positive difference in the
family. There was no time left. Cord mentally sent Kelly a brief explanation
and disappeared from the human light spectrum.

An instant latter he reappeared at the cliff. Remaining at
the edge of human’s ability to see him he again glowed in white light, large
white-feathered wings rested on his back as he gently caught the girl. Her
scream of terror at falling had gained her parents attention at last.

Cord carefully carried her away from the danger, giving her
a gentle squeeze as he put her down. “Be careful,” he murmured softly as he put
her on her feet again. “God needs his angels on Earth too.”

The little girl’s wide eyes studied him, taking in the white
robe, white wings and glowing body. There was no fear in her. Cord looked up at
her parents, who were gaping at him. His face became serious as he stood
holding the child’s hand.

“You have only one chance to raise them. Don’t waste it,” he
stated seriously. Deliberately using words that would let them draw their own
conclusions about what he was. The core truth of his statement could not be
misunderstood, regardless of their personal beliefs.

Cord faded quickly then flashed back to Kelly and Minuet.
Both of whom were sitting in the grass, beaming at him as he reappeared. Minuet
jumped up and ran to him, barreling into his legs as she laughed in delight.

“My Cord make pretty!” she declared. Holding up her arms,
she demanded he lift her.

Laughing with her, but a little confused, Cord scooped her
up and lifted her high over his head. Squeals of laughter echoed across water
as he settled her on his arm and walked down to Kelly.

“What did I make pretty?” Cord asked Minuet.

“The peoples,” Minuet informed him as she scrambled down.
“Look, we made a fort.” Her attention already skipping to a new subject, Minuet
pointed at the construction she and Kelly were working on with the smooth
stones.

“It’s a lovely fort,” Cord admired.

Kelly stood and grabbed his hand, going up on tiptoes to
kiss his cheek as she smiled at him. “I’m proud of you,” she said quietly.

Cord turned his head to capture her lips briefly. “You are?
That was just a little preventive maintenance.”

“No, that was you doing what you do. What comes naturally to
you,” she corrected patiently.

“Anybody else ready for lunch?” Cord asked to change the
subject. The warmth of her approval and Minuet’s delight was gratifying, and
for some reason a little embarrassing. Cord couldn’t remember the last time
he’d been embarrassed and the feeling was distinctly uncomfortable.

As they turned and walked to the car, he thought about it a
little more. Embarrassment was not an emotion dragons possessed. Their limited
repertoire consisted of anger and satisfaction as far as he knew. There was
amusement too, he acknowledged.

Driving back to the inn, they stopped in a small village and
enjoyed making a picnic out of a few things bought at the market. After eating,
the general store saw a substantial uptick in income.

Minuet appeared completely comfortable in this environment.
Whatever had made her uncomfortable on the flight was absent now. Cord took the
opportunity to encourage his two ladies to shop. Minuet quickly had herself
outfitted. She then had very definite ideas about what Cord should buy as well.

When Cord refused to purchase a tartan, he failed miserably
in his attempt to explain the importance of colors and pattern in this culture.
The general store’s proprietor had no problem taking up the explanation of
family and clans. Minuet was enthralled with both his accent and his tales of
Scottish warriors and bonnie lasses.

As Cord was finally following the women out of the store,
the owner nodded and said to him quietly, “I fair think the plaid of the loch
would do well on ye, sir.”

Cord paused to look into the man’s eyes. “The Laird of the
Loch may be handing those out, but he has not done so yet.”

The elderly man beamed. “Give him my best.” He slapped Cord
on the back and waved to them from the door as they pulled away from his store.

Minuet had been comfortable in the village, yet there was
knowledge there, things not said were understood. The people of the Scottish
countryside were an interesting lot.

Returning to the B&B, Minuet wanted to go play with her
friend, so Kelly took her to the owner’s cottage to meet them herself.

When Kelly returned, she found Cord standing in front of the
main room window, his back to her in that powerful male stance. His arms were
crossed, accenting wide shoulders above a dramatic vee down to slim hips,
drool-worthy ass and powerful thighs. His widespread legs spoke of aggression
though his head tilted down said he was lost in thought. Unsure what to do for
a moment, she had to smile at her own hesitation.

The dragon knew she was there. Thinking that she was
bothering him would be foolish. Going into another room to let him work through
his thoughts equally dumb. He had once made a statement she didn’t understand
at that time. He had said that he wanted to experience the pleasure of her
touching him simply because she wanted to, not because she had to. Now she
smiled at that memory.

Walking up to his back, she leaned against him, wrapping her
arms around his waist. Her head rested between his shoulder blades as his arms
immediately covered hers, welcoming her touch. Kelly wanted to know what
consumed him but not enough to break the silence and somehow change the
atmosphere of the room.

He had a lot to consider and some new possibilities to think
through. Minuet’s comments about a sister were uppermost in her mind. She
didn’t know if Cord was sensitive enough to feel the beginnings of a new life
in her this early.

Cord turned slowly in her arms. His head rested on the top
of hers and she settled into his chest. They still didn’t say anything but his
arms tightened fiercely, holding her to him as if something were trying to take
her away. His big body shuddered once as he took a deep breath.

Kelly smiled but didn’t bother to open her eyes. The dragon
had gone seeking in her body and found something he wasn’t prepared for. His
reaction told her everything she needed to know. So this is what a terrified
dragon felt like.

He was rigid beneath her arms, every muscle pulled tight.
Apparently he had been that sure of his own conclusions. Well, the women in his
life were going to teach him things no dragon had ever known before. How to be
a daddy.

Chapter Fourteen

Much later that night, Cord lay staring at the ceiling.
Kelly was sleeping in his arms, her head on his chest, a leg slung over one of
his thighs. He was fiercely erect, a condition he’d been in for hours. He
hadn’t made love to her this afternoon or evening. After Minuet went to bed,
they had talked casually about Legion and Molly. Then speculated on where Harrison
had gone to find his lady, Shelley.

Neither of them wanted to traumatize Minuet by questioning
her about the danger she had sensed surrounding Shelley. Cord hoped Harrison
knew enough to call for help if he needed it. He’d contacted Legion to let him know
what had happened earlier today but had left out the news he was carefully
avoiding.

Kelly hadn’t questioned him. She was treating him with the
kind of gentle care one showed a shock victim. He supposed he deserved it. He
was in shock. Everything he’d known about his life, what he was and who he was
seemed to be a lie. Not exactly a lie. Marelda had never said he couldn’t have
children. In fact, she never actually lied to him.

She’d simply not told him that his assumptions were untrue.
He hadn’t thought to discuss the impossible with her, perhaps his first
mistake.

Large hands gently stroked up and down Kelly’s back as a
smile inched across his lips. He was the product of several sets of DNA,
knowing about those predators had been an important part of his development.
Marelda insisted he study each one to better understand himself, and hindsight
showed him all he needed to know was in that study. She had also disclosed that
the human DNA in his makeup was from her family. The significance of her directions
were growing on him now.

Each of the predators in his makeup not only mated for life
but was only able to procreate with a single partner.

Marelda’s family was made up of people who held themselves
to the highest standard. In human form, when he looked in the mirror, he was
looking into Marelda’s eyes in his own face. The shape of his jaw matched her
husband’s. He was their child. She may not have carried him in her body, but
she had created him with the love of a mother and given him the strength of a father.

What was the difference? The mixing of human male and female
DNA, did that make him something other than a dragon, other than an
abomination? Were the three elemental dragons actually a different species?

“Are you done yet?” Kelly asked from his chest.

“With what?”

“With being shocked and whatever,” Kelly said.

“Don’t think so,” Cord confessed.

“It’s been hours. Do you need help?”

“What are you going to help me with?” Cord wanted to know.

“I thought I’d start with explaining where babies come
from,” Kelly said seriously. “Then we’d move on to what it means to be a daddy
and a mommy.”

“I know what it means to be a daddy and a mommy,” he said
firmly. “It means getting married. Would you like to do it here?”

Her head shot up to glare at him. “That was you asking me to
marry you?” she demanded indignantly.

“Ah, of course not. That was clearly all wrong and something
I would never do,” he assured her. “I was wondering if you’d like to be asked
here.”

“I would love to be asked here,” Kelly purred. “It’s a very
romantic setting and I’m sure a smart dragon can figure out how to make it
memorable.”

Her head settled back on his chest and now Cord was frowning
at the ceiling. There was silence for a few moments as he tried to decipher the
woman speak.

“Let’s pretend you’re talking to a dragon dumb as a box of
rocks, one who has no idea how to get his witch to marry him,” Cord started
conversationally. “If he came to you for advice, what would you tell him?”

“I’d have to ask him something first,” Kelly said thoughtfully.

“Really? What?”

“I’d ask him if he had told his witch he loved her?”

“That’s big for humans,” Cord agreed. “Then what?”

“If he had, I’d want to know if he thought he had convinced
her. Because as you know, the only way she’d say yes it is if she believed he
loves her,” Kelly continued. “After that it’s easy.”

“Right, easy,” Cord mumbled.

Kelly bit down on her bottom lip to keep from smiling. She
didn’t want him to think she was laughing at him. She understood exactly why he
was having this conversation. Who else was he going to ask? There was no one
but each other.

Again the room was silent for several minutes. Kelly shifted
against the hard dragon holding her, but he only patted her hip absently as if
to settle her.

“You know, I’d have more advice for him,” Kelly prodded.

“More? Something specific?”

“Not exactly specific. Just some suggestions I suppose. This
dragon was coming to me for advice on relationships after all. I could be very
helpful to him,” Kelly stated confidently.

“Oh yeah? What would you tell him?” Cord wanted to know as
his hands began stroking up and down her back again.

“First, I’d be sure and let him know that even though
witches are humans, they really enjoy the beast in their dragon. I’m guessing
he’s feeling hesitant about that. I’ve noticed dragons in love get
self-conscious.”

Cord rolled them over so he was resting on his elbows above
the little smart-mouth witch. “Oh, you’ve noticed that, have you? I can’t
imagine where you get that idea. Dragons are not known to be shy,” he growled
softly into her openly laughing face.

Kelly’s hands framed his handsome face. “I didn’t say he was
shy. I said he might be feeling hesitant and self-conscious. I want to assure
him that his witch enjoys every minute of her dragon’s attention. I mean she
probably will understand that he’s been knocked off his game with the love
issue. Of course, if the witch is pregnant, the dragon is probably seriously
traumatized. It’s never a good idea to let the pregnant woman know the guy who
got her that way is panicking and incapable of reassuring her he wants the baby
by making love to her. Humans have a blue pill that fixes the problem. No idea
if it works on dragons, but I guess I’d want him to try it if his shock was
overwhelming.”