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Chapter Two
“Playing with fire?”The sound of his cousin’s snicker echoed through his mind.
There was no doubt to either himself or the Dragon King with whom he shared his soul that Jack was being a fool. Yes, he was baiting the most beautiful Vet in the whole damned world to come out and play. Absolutely, he wanted Macy Lindon more than he wanted his next breath.
Unfortunately, there was something he had to do first.
“Oh, shut the hell up,” Heath MacAllen chuckled aloud, reading Jack’s mind even as he stayed out of sight. “You know it’s what we all want. Youneedto settle down and be happy. Just as sure as God made little green apples, the Old Chief would be happier than a pig in shit for you to finally claim that gorgeous girl and start havin’ babies.”
“Watch it,” Jack growled.
Almost overcome with uncontrollable jealousy, he couldn’t bear the thought that anyone else was looking at Macy. It didn’t matter who it was. Not even his younger and already spoken for cousin could glance in her direction without him damned near losing his mind.
“Shut the hell up and get a grip, Jack Ass. Oh, and you can shove those scales right up your ass. Furthermore, tell King Felim to get a grip. The Mating Call sucks for all of us.” Shaking his head and muttering something that sounded like, “Stupid Asshole,” under his breath, Heath huffed a plume of smoke from his own Dragon King before continuing. “Now, where was I? Oh, yeah… Like I was sayin’, how many times has Cheveyo told you about seeing Macy around town after you left? I’m pretty sure he said they talked at least once a week for the last ten years.”
At the mention of their Granddad, Cheveyo Thorntree, Principal Chief of the Thorntree Tribe of the Cherokee Nation and Alpha of the Thorntree Wolf Pack, Jack let the pride he felt by being related to such a great man fill his heart and soul. From the day his parents, Beverley and Jackson, were killed while on a mission to save the females of Dragonkin, the old Chief became both granddad and parent.
He took Jack in and made sure the young Dragon-Timberwolf Hybrid knew who he was, who his parents were, and most importantly, his place in the world as one of the Universe's Chosen Warriors. Not only were Beverley and Jackson an unbeatable team, but as an Elder of her Clan who shared her soul with one of the original Dragon Queens, Jack's mom was the sister of the one and only renowned Carrick. One of the oldest of the Dragon Guard Elders and the Leader of the Golden Fire Clan of Dragons, he was nothing short of a legend.
“They were amazing. I might not remember much, but I can feel it in my bones.”
“Aye, Lad. Your ma and da were two of a kind. A pair unlike any other,”Felim,Jack's Dragon King, sighed, his thick Scottish brogue full of sorrow.
Recalling some of his happiest memories, Jack tried to lift the mood of his Dragon King right along with his own spirits. Mind filling with images of learning to transform into both Dragon and Timberwolf alongside Gage, J.D., and Tree – the oldest three of the MacAllen Dragons, he didn’t so much as try to stop the smile he knew was growing across his face. And right on the heels of those visions came the ones where all of them, along with Zach – MacAllen brother number four – were teaching the twins the very same thing.
It was comical, to say the least, and some of the best memories Jack had. And the Great Goddess knew it was those happy memories that kept him going while undercover with the Hive. Letting out a long, slow breath, he thought about the massive network of scientists, genealogists, biologists, and so many other brainiacs that he couldn’t keep count.
Closer to home than he could've ever imagined, the Hive's network was extensive, and their plans to destroy anyone different than themselves were abhorrent. So when presented with the undercover assignment, he'd jumped at the chance to eradicate the evil threatening the Paranormal Community.
"How could I have guessed I would've been gone so long?"
"We've always gone where the job takes us without asking many questions,"Felim sighed. “Being one of the Universe’s Chosen Warriors isn’t for the feint of heart.”
“Or the Dragon hearted,”he scoffed, sliding right back into the whirl of recollections that always sat on the edge of his mind.
Ten years, three-thousand-six-hundred-and-fifty days, had been too long and too lonely. Holding tight to the knowledge that he would someday be reunited with Macy, his One True Fated Mate, it was those sweet memories that had kept him sane.
“But it wasn’t always easy. Was it, Lad?”
“No, Old Man, it damned sure wasn’t.”
The darkest of days always came from exhaustion, which was born from constantly being forced to access his Dragon King’s ancient knowledge. Necessary, but nonetheless draining, delving into two thousand years of knowledge and experience to pretend he was smart enough to be inducted into the nefarious organization took every ounce of strength and stamina coursing through his mind and body. There were times he simply wanted to don Felim's scales, burn the whole damned place to the ground, and call it a day.
“And that was when I pictured Macy and my family,”he wistfully sighed.
Just the thought of those he loved with all his heart eased the pressure building in his soul from hiding both his Dragon and his Timberwolf from detection by the enemy. Couldn't ever say the Hive was stupid. Oh, hell no. They had advanced full-body, x-ray scanners lining every wall, crack, and crevice of each facility all over the worldandthe four satellites stationed just outside of Earth’s atmosphere.
Felim called it his mental holidays. Jack called it his only sanity. Whatever the correct term was, the Guardsman only had to take a walk through his mind to remember why he was doing the job and hiding in plain sight within the enemy’s very own organization. The only thing that truly mattered was ferreting out the truly evil Mastermind. He had to find the person who’d set the vile Dr. Nightshade on his deadly mission, and that was all there was to it.
Shaking his head, fighting the urge to recount every miserable detail of ten years of undercover work, Jack grabbed onto the only thing readily available - Heath’s voice. Thankfully, his cousin was still prattling on and unaware that Jack had taken an emotional – and in so many ways disheartening - trip down Memory Lane.
Forcing himself to pay attention, to leave the past in the past for the time being, the older Guardsman tuned back in just as his cousin jabbed his finger in the air and adamantly declared, “Did you know that Macy literally stopped what she was doing just to ask aboutyouevery single time Granddad ran into her? Hell, man, she had stars in her eyes. Cheveyo said she was putting off the scent of a woman in lo…."
"If that was only all there was to it. If only there wasn't an entire organization of assholes to put behind bars and a real and imminent threat to neutralize before more people get hurt. Goddess help that asshole if he comes after someone we love. You won’t have to ‘let’ me come forward. I’ll push your scrawny arse outta the way and do what has to be done, Lad. You know it’s true. I’ve warned you again and again,”Felim, the Dragon King with whom he shared his soul, growled.
Ignoring the Winged Warrior’s rage, not wanting to lose his temper or focus after being so close just seconds before, Jack did some growling of his own. "Shut. Up. Heath." Stepping back off the ledge, out of the last rays of the setting sun and, more importantly, Macy's eye line, the older Guardsman transformed back into his human form and added, "You know that's not why I'm back. Not why I'm…."
"Whatever," the younger Guardsman laughed out loud. "Lie to yourself all you want. Blame it on your job. Heck, Ranger tried to do that shit, too, but…." Tapping his nose, Heath nodded, "I'd know that scent anywhere. Hell, I've had to deal with it six times already. Try being the youngest in a Family where your brothers' and cousins' Mates are droppin' out of the sky like falling stars. It's not easy, let me tell you. Can't wait till…."
