3. Alfie

Chapter 3

Alfie

E ven as tea was served, I couldn't relax. A pretty curaidh woman came into the room and was introduced as Nadia. She flopped into a chair and looked at me with an appraising air.

"You look so like Morgan, it's almost creepy."

"Um, thank you?"

"You're welcome," she said, as though it had indeed been a compliment she'd been paying me. On the basis Morgan was great, and on the basis that a lot of my family looked alike, with blonde hair and silver eyes, I wasn't going to complain.

When someone came near to our chair to put the teacup on the table, I tensed. In my lap, Blaze felt it and I thought he might try to get up and take the cup to stop anyone from coming near us, but that would mean he leaned away from me, which would be the worst thing to make my dragon feel panicked… but he turned into me instead. He pressed more firmly into my lap and his fingers twined with mine, and my dragon breathed him in deeply to take comfort from his scent.

Any illusion I'd had that I'd been subtle about that vanished when someone tried to hand round biscuits and John said, "Please, let me."

He took the plate from the curaidh and approached us all, offering them to us and saying, "They were made fresh this morning. Brenda made them herself."

He cast a proud look at the older woman, who blushed in a pleased way.

Blaze took one and bit into it. I didn't look because I had a thing for my mate's lips and watching him eat was a complete porn show for me, and I didn't want to get hard in front of all these people. He said, "They're delicious," and Brenda blushed harder.

I was grateful for the distraction and for the fact that only a human was approaching us. I don't know why my dragon was riled by the fact that we were surrounded, especially since some of the people surrounding us were my family and they loved me and I knew they'd never hurt me. Still, I didn't like it.

And, what's more, I could tell my clan didn't like it, either.

Great Aunt Evangeline seemed the only one who was perfectly at ease, but then that made sense, if she already knew Edith and had once had an alliance with her. Her old dragon wouldn't feel in danger.

The rest of us were tense, even though we tried to hide it behind politeness and blank faces. I knew Glimmer was fully in Guardian mode because he still was nowhere to be seen, except when I focused on our bond I knew he was nearby. I just hoped nobody else could see bonds and therefore track where he was. Or realise that one of our clan was supposedly missing.

More and more people came into the room to be introduced. I'd actually never met that many people before, which was already weird. The fact that I wasn't sure they could be trusted wasn't making me relax.

Luckily, a lot of them came in, introduced themselves and then retreated back to the other side of the room. I wasn't sure if they were doing that so as not to crowd us or because their own instincts were to gather close and press together for protection.

I was sweating. I had been starting to think I'd actually be a good elder, but that had been in my own castle and with my own clan. This was my first test and I was already failing. I couldn't even meet a bunch of people without wanting to flip out.

There were so many of them, though. How many more were going to come through that door?

One of the men who'd been introduced to me came sidling up closer. I noticed him but tried not to snap at him. He was human and, besides, he was a Hoskins and Morgan had specifically told me that they were all good people and we'd be safe.

Why was he getting closer, though?

He was a tall, handsome Black man and he had his eyes fixed on my mate. My dragon rumbled inside me, filling my head. I couldn't hear what anyone around me was saying because my dragon was so loud.

That man kept inching closer and closer to my mate and, sure, he was sitting in my lap and therefore I could protect him but I really needed to be in front of Blaze to do that properly and it would be best if I was in my dragon form. My dragon liked that idea. It wanted me to shift so I could protect my mate properly.

I felt my scales start to break out over my skin, my dragon pushing up to protect my mate.

The man got right to our side and he hadn't taken his eyes off Blaze. It was like I wasn't even there. He wanted Blaze. He wanted my mate, and I was right here and he was trying to take Blaze away from me.

His voice was low and intimate, and I didn't hear the words because my dragon roared inside me.

Blaze turned his head to the man, met his eyes, and spoke.

The man reached out his hand. He was going to touch my mate.

Instinct took over me. I smacked his hand away from my mate, batting it aside and snarling. I stood, hauling Blaze back against me as I surged out of the armchair and stood, ready to face the threat.

Two men were instantly beside the offender. I recognised their stance. It was the same one I had with Blaze, my arms around him protectively, but twisting him behind me so I was between him and the threat. One of the men had the tall man in his arms and was dragging him away and the other was glaring and pushing in front of him, protecting him.

The tension in the air suddenly skyrocketed. Everyone leapt out of their seats.

Low growls filled the air, coming from both clans, and each dragon with a protective instinct tried to stand in front of the people it most wanted to defend.

The growls got louder.

My dragon began to fill me, feeling the tension and the threat. It knew it could protect my clan, if I let it. If I let it out.

A sudden, sharp voice snapped through the room.

"Everybody stop ."

It was Edith, and her voice held so much sudden command that we all did stop. Even me.

I have no idea why having another dragon elder so close made me revert to being, well, me, but I blurted out, "Wow, that was impressive, you even got me to stop. Wait, are you allowed to do that? Was I meant to stop? "

Edith's eyes turned to me and I saw the glimmer of her dragon inside them. It made my own dragon start to rise up again. The challenge in those eyes.

"You are in my territory and I am powerful in my way, even though I am not a golden dragon. I have a lot of experience being around other clans and other elders."

I blinked at her.

My dragon stopped trying to push out of me.

Had she just answered my question?

That had never happened before. I was so surprised that she'd taken the time to answer my stupid questions that I did nothing. I said nothing. I just stood there with Blaze tucked behind me and my clan behind me and beside me, waiting to see what she did next.

Edith turned to the tall man and asked, "Anthony, are you hurt?"

A wave of shame washed over me as I turned my attention back to him. He was standing with his shoulders hunched, and I couldn't tell whether he was trying to make himself smaller or whether he was trying to shield his arm, which he was holding tightly to his chest .

Worse, he was human. I could smell the pain in his scent, even though I'd never smelled that before. Never been around a human before. How fragile were they, anyway? Had I broken his arm?

Anthony shook his head, but it was clear he was lying. We could all smell that pain. We could see the way he cradled his arm.

His large, soulful brown eyes were on me, and I'd never seen anyone look afraid of me like that.

It was the way I'd seen people look at my father. The tension in the way they held themselves, as though expecting a blow. The wariness of doing or saying the wrong thing. The fear.

I couldn't have said anything, since my throat went tight. It had happened, just as I feared it would. As I'd gained my power and taken his position, I'd become my father.

The chubby curaidh beside him began tugging him away, out of the room. "We'll get Georgie to look at it."

They backed away and several people went with him, meaning the room cleared substantially.

I didn't know what to say.

Seren was the first to speak. I wasn't sure whether he was trying to reassure me or Edith or any of the Hoskins, but he said, "I have protections over him. Matty has more on him, I think, so a knock won't have broken his arm."

I realised that meant, if Seren hadn't had protections over Anthony, the knock I'd given him would have shattered the bone. I felt awful. My dragon wasn't pressing up against me any longer. Maybe it was feeling ashamed, too.

Edith turned slowly to the rest of her clan and said, "There's lots to be done before dinner. I suggest you jump to it. Morgan, Seren, you can stay. I'd like you to show the Somervilles to their rooms when they are ready."

Everyone cleared out of the room quickly, except Nadia. Edith raised her eyes at her.

Nadia yawned and said, "I just got comfy, Nana. I can't be bothered to move."

Edith let her get away with that, which confused me even more. Then she turned to me.

"Perhaps you'd come to speak privately with me, Lord Somerville."

Blaze's hand tightened around my arm, obviously fearing I was going to be punished for harming her clan. I didn't mind, though. I had hurt Anthony and I deserved the punishment. I'd take it.

I nodded and disentangled myself from Blaze and walked out of the room after Edith. Glimmer's bond with me flashed brightly and I realised he was following me. I paused, shaking my head. I wanted him beside Blaze and my mother.

He retreated, and I relaxed.

Edith was waiting for me at the door, looking at me with a curious expression. I squared my shoulders and followed her out.

She led me straight down the corridor to a little parlour. I stood, trying not to shuffle my feet because that had always annoyed my father. The wait was terrible before she finally spoke.

"How are you feeling, Alfie?"

"Um, excuse me?"

"I asked how you are feeling. Is your dragon riled?"

"No, Lady Hoskins."

She gave an almost imperceptible wince and I wondered if I'd done that wrong as well. The feeling of standing before a dragon elder and feeling inadequate was so familiar that I reverted to my old self and began to babble.

"I'm sorry, was that wrong? What should I call you now?"

"I did give you permission to call me Edith."

"Yes, but that was before I angered you, does it still count? I hurt your clan. I'm sorry about that, I really am, I don't know what came over me. He was going to touch my mate. Normally I don't mind people touching Blaze so I don't know why my dragon won't let it happen right now but I really didn't mean to hurt him. Will he be okay? Did I break his arm?"

"You have not angered me, Alfie."

She was going to say more but I was in full babbling mode by then and that answer surprised me so much that I couldn't stop myself.

"I hurt Anthony, though! You should be really mad."

Edith actually gave a tiny little smile at that. "I'm not happy that you hurt him, of course. If you had broken his bone, things might have been different. As it is, Anthony has more than enough protections on him to stop a little smack like that from doing much damage. He will probably have a bruise for a few days."

"I really am so sorry."

"I know. That is one of the reasons I'm not angry. I do hold you responsible for your actions, Alfie, but in this instance, I will say that this is not entirely your fault. You are new to shifting, newly mated and new to your position as elder. That is a lot of change to happen all at once and you are not yet used to your dragon's instincts, nor aware of how much strength you actually have. I should have realised that and arranged this meeting differently. I will take some portion of responsibility for that. I thought that having met Lew and Dane already would reassure your dragon much more than it did."

"I do like Lew and Dane," I assured her, as though that was even in question.

"I'm glad."

"I like Anthony, too. Well, I don't actually. I don't know him at all. I'm sure he's really nice and I'm sorry I broke him."

"Anthony is one of nature's innocents and I'm sure you'll come to like him a great deal. However, he is an intelligent man and he should have realised that touching a newly-mated dragon elder's mate was not a very good idea. I'm certain he didn't mean any disrespect, but he does let his curiosity get the better of him sometimes. Since Blaze had consented to let him touch, he forgot the danger of a dragon right beside him."

"What did he want to touch Blaze for?"

I was embarrassed to admit now that I didn't actually know that. I hadn't heard what they'd said, only saw someone getting nearer and nearer to my mate.

Edith didn't seem to find it odd that I didn't know. Or, if she did, she hid it well.

"He's never met a fire spirit before."

"Oh?" I made that sound like a question because I wasn't sure she'd actually given me an answer, even though she made it sound like she had. To my surprise, she answered again. I'd never had someone actually do that before, except Blaze. He always answered my questions. Most other people just told me what they wanted to tell me and ignored the rest.

"Like I said, Anthony is curious. He will want to speak to Blaze before you leave. I think he'll have learned not to touch now, though."

"Sorry," I mumbled again.

"This means the responsibility for this incident is shared between me, Anthony and you, Alfie. I understand your dragon instincts are overwhelming but you must learn to control them."

"How do you control a massive dragon, though? Sometimes it overwhelms me and I worry it's going to burst out. It did that before, you know. Just took over me and burst out. And sometimes it rumbles round my head like this." I circled my head round and round to show what it felt like, as though my head was empty and the sound was echoing off the inside of my skull. Unfortunately, when I stopped to see her response, I'd made myself dizzy and went cross-eyed trying to focus on her.

"You must learn to communicate with your dragon. I understand you were cut off from it for a long time, and you'll have to listen to its instincts. They are your instincts, too."

I admitted then something that had been worrying me. I lowered my voice, afraid that one of my clan might hear. "I don't think my dragon is a very good elder. It only comes out sometimes and that's in a big rush of power when it wants to shift. The rest of the time, it's just me. My father almost always had his dragon in his eyes."

Edith's lip curled into a sneer. "Do not try to be like your father, Alfie. He was not a good elder. "

"I don't think—"

"You are already a better elder than he was. You have created alliances where he failed, have you not?"

"Well, yes, I suppose, but I think really Morgan made that alliance when he mated Lew."

"Your dragon is protective and strong. You must learn to balance your need to protect with your need to lead. Listen to your dragon's instincts and use them but don't let them rule you."

"I want to do that, but I don't know how. Do you feel that way?"

It was a very personal question, of course, but she'd been incredibly forthcoming with answers and I wanted to take advantage of that while I could. I didn't know when she'd stop wanting to answer.

Edith looked at me long and hard, as though deciding what to tell me. Her eyes were black and sharp but there was no dragon in them. After a while, I thought I saw a glimmer of it, a hint of power in her eyes that reassured me she was strong enough to protect my clan.

"Do you not think that every dragon here feels protective of their mate? Do you think that my dragon was happy to leave my human mate vulnerable amongst so many people I do not know well enough to trust?"

I hadn't considered that. We were in her territory, after all. I shook my head. "What did you do to make your dragon okay with it?"

"I have learned to protect him in my own way. Nobody will be able to hurt him. If they try, I'll know. In this room, we are far enough from everyone that nobody will overhear us when we talk and we can be private. However, we'll hear a shout or cry for help. The corridor to the lounge is straight and I can be there in seconds, if I need to. Not only that, but I have left my mate with my clan beside him, and I trust my clan. Did you notice that Darren has stayed beside him the entire time?"

"I didn't notice."

"He is a gargoyle and very capable of defending my mate. Nadia also has not been more than a few metres from my mate the whole time."

I gasped. "She said she couldn't be bothered to move!"

Edith's lips quirked into that half-smile again. "That is her way. She is still learning what to do with her power and how to present it. For the time being, she likes to down-play it. I have learned how to wear my power and be comfortable with it. Your father wore his in his eyes, and liked to frighten people. How will you wear yours, Lord Somerville?"

It was a question I pondered long after I returned to my clan and settled back into the armchair with Blaze on my lap and my web of bonds around me.