Page 14 of Dragon Dreaming (Dragon Intelligence Agency 2)

Chapter Five

“What the hell was I thinkin’?” Lottie kicked the grass with the toe of her boot. “I meant to call Jianna, not that…”

“Good lookin’, sexy-as-hell Dragon that just happens to be your Mate? Who makes you think of long walks on the beach, breakfast in bed, and bow-chicka-wowwow.”

“Shut up, Astrid.”

“Go on,”the Sleipnir Mare goaded. “Admit it. You wanted him to come along. You want him by your side. You know that’s where he’s supposed to be. Who better to have your back than the guy who already has your heart? It only makes sense. Please, I’m beggin ya’, for the love of all things holy, at the very least, admit to yourself. All your inner turmoil is driving me crazy. It’s like a Marilyn Manson concert without earplugs up in here.”

“I swear to all the little Fairies in this meadow, I’m gonna…”

“Not do one damn thing. From the moment you saw Vanessa in that little glowing ball of Magic and confirmed that she was here at Crimson Moon, you wanted to share your findings with Van, and that’s okay”

“What are you, my counselor?”

“Well, hell, somebody needs to be. Who better than me? I have a ringside seat to the mayhem that is your mind, Lottie, my dear. I saw it all play out in your mind. The more you watched the reply of the last several days, the deeper you dug into Vanessa Marron’s movements, the more you learned, it took all your energy just to fight the urge to knock on his door and fill him in. And that’s okay, too. Shit, that’s better than okay. That’s like Christmas, Easter, and New Year’s Eve all rolled into one. Aside from being your Mate, Van’s also a Dragon Guardsman, for Heavens’ sake. Like the best of the best, the Universe’s chosen warriors. He’s a descendant of the Knights of the Round Table, jeez-o-Pete, it doesn’t get any better than that. Oh, and let us not forget, he’s a DIA Agent…”

“How could I ever forget? He made me look like a dipshit in front of his whole team.”

“And you ran off without letting him explain or apologize. Even I could see what happened was out of character and just a knee jerk reaction to the shock of you being at the DIA, but that’s not what I’m talkin’ about right now”

Without so much as a pause of effect, the Sleipnir Mare kept right on going, making her point and driving it home with the gusto of an ancient Being with a burr in her tail.“What I am sayin’ – and you damned sure better be listenin’ because I am tired of sayin’ it - is that your man is everything and a caramel macchiato and did you forget that he was an Army Ranger for years. Come on, Lottie, that hunka-hunka-burnin’ love of yours has all the right stuff – in all the right places if I do say so myself. Why not just let him in, see how it goes? Let him help. What do you have to lose? Not one damned thing.”

“Astrid…”

“Yeah, act all tough if it makes you feel better. I know you’re a Protector and it’s hard for you to let down your guard, but you really need to Let. It. Go. And while I’m at it and you’re actually listening, we both know you’re not gonna do anything to me. Like I’ve said a thousand and one times, you love me too much to do anything but blow smoke. You’ll never blast me into a thousand pieces or send me to the deepest recesses of the farthest corners of the universe. Just like you’re not going through that portal until Van gets here. The heart wants what the heart wants, Lottie, my girl and don’t forget, Fate will not be denied.”

“What a load of crap! Fate has nothing to do with any of this. I’m in control. I decide when shit happens in my own life. In about two-point-two seconds, as soon as I remember how to do it, I’m gonna remove whatever black magic bullshit Vanessa has used to block this portal, and I’m gonna…”

“Wait for Jianna to get here and help you because you don’t want to blow up the resort she worked so hard to build and all her unsuspecting guests both Supernatural and human?” The threat in her tone was as clear as her lighthearted chuckle as the Valkyrie patted Lottie on the shoulder and moved in beside her.

“Umm… Yeah, about that,” Lottie stuttered, her eyes sliding to the side to meet Jianna’s. “That’s why I called.”

“That’s why you callVan?” Jianna mused, the sarcasm in her voice so thick Lottie could’ve cut it with a knife. “You called Van because he would surely know the counter curse for something that nasty piece of beetle dung dug out of your momma’s Grimoire and warped with her own special brand of crazy? A reversal spell that you know very well I helped Margarite perfect?”

“Yeah, about that…”

“No worries,” the overbearing and too-good-looking-for-his-own-good Dragon proudly snickered, appearing on her other side and casually putting his arm around her waist like it was something he’d done a hundred times.

Waggling his eyebrows, an expression that both exasperated and turned her on, he added, “You can call me anytime,Mo chroí. I like hearing your sweet voice in my head.”

Ignoring the electricity shooting through her body from that one simple gesture, Lottie shrugged out from under his arm, turned her back on the infuriating Dragon, and snapped at Jianna, “So, are we gonna open this thing and go get that bitch, or stand around here chatting like a bunch of old ladies?”

Hands on her shoulder, Van’s lips were next to her ear faster than she could move out of the way. “Oh, we’re going through that portal, but we’re doing it together.”

Snapping her head to the side to tell Donavan Cross, arrogant asshole extraordinaire, exactly what she thought of him – or the best line of bullshit she could come up with on the fly - Lottie got as far as, “Over my de…” before Jianna announced, “It’s open. Let’s do this.”

Knowing what was coming as the Valkyrie’s eyes met hers but unable to react quickly enough to stop the inevitable, Lottie could only groan when Jianna added, “Unless you two would rather play kissy face andcarve DC plus CMDwith a heart around it in the nearest redwood while I go kick this Witch’s ass.”

“Shut. Up. Ji.” Lottie snapped, stepping forward and into the vortex before either of her compatriots could muster a smartass comment.

Exhaling as soon as she heard the whoosh of Mother Nature’s Magic welcoming her into the portal, Lottie let the ebb and flow of the incredibly immense power of the Earth itself carry her across time and space. Focused on the kaleidoscope of colors leading the way, she couldn’t help but hold her breath and listen for Van’s entrance into the portal.

It was the best and most infuriating feeling all rolled into one as pure, white Dragon Magic filtered into the magical gateway and she was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. Yes, he was her Mate. Yes, she wanted him there. Yes, she wanted him to have her back, just like she planned to have his for all time.

She could admit that to herself, if no one else.

Of course, she wanted him with every fiber of her being. Wanted to claim and be claimed. Wanted to answer the Mating Call with a resounding,‘Hell, yeah, let me at him!’Wanted to be one in body, mind, and spirit with the other half of her soul. Had always dreamed of having the man made just for her by the Universe by her side for all time.

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