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  God made humans and the normal animals. They had a logical developmental path lovingly guarded by the laws of nature. There was order to that world. Perhaps an afterlife or some thought of a next life. He’d never paid much attention to human religion. He considered it none of his business and possibly blasphemy for him to poke around God’s relationships with his children.

  Creatures created outside the laws of nature were fucking on their own. Of that he had no question. He’d seen God in action. The flood was a plan God had approved. The word for his creators was witch now. It had been something else in the time before, closer to High Priestess, Daughter of God.

  No, he was pretty sure God had been pissed at the humans inventing dragons. He’d judged the entire population of humans in the process, but it was the dragons who God had wanted destroyed completely, except for the three of them.

  Cord frowned. Except for the three of them. The thought echoed in his brain. Math was one of God’s most elegant natural laws and Cord often employed it when something didn’t make sense. If something could be figured in an equation, it could be understood. Now the numbers were screaming at him.

  The number of humans saved from the flood in relation to the total number of the global population. The number of animals saved in relation to the total population of said animals. There was a correlation to the number of dragons saved in relations to the number of the total population at the time.

  But the equation fell apart because the population of dragons had not really decreased. They were still present, just in altered states.

  Kelly continued voicing her thoughts. “Why would you think there could be no positive development for dragons as well?”

  A muscled ticked in Cord’s jaw. “Because we are the abominations that brought about the destruction of the world, Kelly. Not just some of it, the entire world. Could you forgive the creature who destroyed your child? Much less billions of your children? Forget it. Whatever you’d like to believe, this is reality.”

  “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 pl
ay 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 incapab
le 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.”

  Cord lowered his hips, using his knees to spread her thighs, settling the hard length of his erection on her soft belly. “I’ve never known a dragon to have blue pill problems. I suspect it would take a helluva lot more throwing him off his game to accomplish that, though his beautiful witch being pregnant is a damn good attempt.”

  Kelly’s legs gracefully rose to circle his hips as she smiled up at the beast looming over her. Oh yes, regardless of his other reactions, his beautiful body was responding perfectly. Went to show that the animal within was completely comfortable. It was the human part of the dragon who was kicking around disbelief. Interesting turn of events.

  Cord licked the smile off her lips with slow deliberation, finally leaning down to take her mouth in a deep, slow kiss that explored her. The rumble started low in his chest, vibrating into her breasts. It was amazingly erotic. He was holding most of his weight off her, his hips moving in deliberate strokes, dragging his cock over soft, damp folds. His mouth lifted but only to allow him to worship her lips before he sank back into her again.

  The sweet kisses went on forever as his body lightly caressed the rest of her. He seemed in no hurry to move on. Kelly had been suffering on low burn for hours, waiting for him to get over whatever it was. At first she thought he was upset, but that thought was quickly erased as his attention this evening had been overwhelming. It just hadn’t been sexual.

  Now he was torturing her with attention. Gentle, careful attention. She was sure she had been clear explaining that a witch needs her dragon. Perhaps he hadn’t gotten the message. It wasn’t as if he wasn’t interested. The thick rod between her legs, moving painfully slow, was certainly ready. What would it take to get his attention fully focused on what she needed?