Chapter 18

Chapter

Eighteen

Magnus

The house Rose led us to wasn't a house at all. It was bigger, like a castle, without all the pretentiousness. The main home, and all the surrounding buildings, were painted a rich black. The trees surrounding the property were thick and wove all over the grounds.

The result was a thicket of greenery that hid the main house from the nearby road and the parkway. It reminded me in so many ways of being back home that a wave of nostalgia washed over me. I hated the idea of being homesick. I had no home to miss or be nostalgic about. Every moment of my time under my uncle's roof had been tainted by the fact he'd kept me under a spell for as long as I could remember.

There was no love, or happy memories to reflect on. Only pain and servitude.

The dragon stirred inside me at the anger surging through my veins. I didn't want to admit it, but I'd had more trouble regulating my emotions since walking through that portal than even Isaac or Kitra had guessed.

And while the poison had been a respite, I didn't want to do that again either.

"Here we are. Home sweet home."

Rose smiled briefly and for a moment I could almost forget all the things I had done thus far that hurt her. I didn't know how to break it to her, but the more time we spent together, the worse things would get. And if I couldn't keep my emotions in check around her, then Goddess help us all.

A slight breeze kicked up as we made our approach, and the familiar strawberry and mint scent filled my head. But there was something more there and now I could sense it. So much so that the dragon stirred restlessly under my skin.

Omega.

The thought snuck in again without my permission. I'd been trying to hide it ever since the angry side of me said no. Holding onto that made it easy to refuse the alternative.

Mate .

But my dragon was a possessive monster. And an omega mate was a rare, precious treasure that any dragon would want to hoard for their own. In any way they saw fit.

However, I wasn't sure. The dragon might be back, but he wasn't quite whole. My senses were still screwed up.

We all followed Rose up the path, and when she reached for the door, I stilled her movements with my hand on her arm. "Are you sure about this? Finding out about fae and dragons might not be in the best interest for your family. For some humans, mental health is a fragile thing."

She smirked. "Did you just call me fragile AND crazy?"

"That wasn't my intention. You are different."

She shook her head. "I don't know whether to be insulted or not. I am curious, though. What makes me different than other humans?"

"You didn't run screaming when you woke up to a giant dragon destroying your house for one," Isaac quipped.

I shoved him back to give us space. No one needed a meddling asshole in the middle of their conversation.

"Don't be a jerk."

"Him or me?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"I guess both of you."

"Maybe we should talk more before going inside," Kitra interjected. "I think there's more to your story than you are telling us."

"More to my story?" Rose choked. "Are you serious right now? Okay pot. Let's go see about that kettle."

All three of us looked at her in complete confusion.

She chirped with laughter. "Okay note to self. Fae don't understand weird human idioms. I'm just saying that it's a little ridiculous to think I have a story when its you three that stand out like crazy people in my human world."

"I think we've more than proven ourselves," I uttered quietly.

"Okay, enough, let's just go inside and sort this out with?—"

"Rose is that you?" a voice called from inside.

Kitra froze. “Oh shit. Do you smell that?”

I barely had time to inhale when a large, middle-aged male appeared in the doorway. Huge. As in, there was no way this man was all human and he reeked.

Magic .

A wide smile broke out on Rose’s face when she caught sight of him. My dragon growled in my head and I couldn't agree more.

The man smiled back at Rose, not knowing he was one wrong breath from death. "What a nice surprise." He pulled her into a tight hug, and she disappeared behind massive arms the size of tree trunks.

My hackles rose, and an urgent alarm bell went off inside me. A low warning growl slipped free before I could stop it, and the man's head shot up, his gaze connecting with mine. We both knew immediately. Neither was looking at a normal human male.

"What the?—?"

Kitra took several steps back, and Isaac grabbed my arm to block me from attacking. I jerked my arm free, hissing at the same time, "Do not touch me."

"Rose, get inside," the man commanded.

"I knew it!" Kitra exclaimed, and we all turned to stare at her. "What? You can't tell me you didn't sense something was off after that freakout in the car."

"What are you talking about?" Isaac asked.

"Rose, go inside. I will handle this," her father urged.

She struggled to get free from the man, and I was half a second away from biting his head off and I meant that in the most literal sense.

"Dad. What's wrong? These are my friends. They need your help."

Dad?

"We don't help their kind." He snarled at us as he tried once again to shove Rose behind him. But I was faster, and I caught her hand at the last second and pulled her back against me in a quick move that caught her father off guard.

"Let her go. We don't want any trouble from you, but she's my daughter. I will defend her until my last breath."

"That might be sooner than you think."

"Magnus!" Rose cried. "What is wrong with you? And Dad, what is going on with you?"

"I think your dad is about to show us his true colors." Isaac seemed flippant and unconcerned, but he was on edge and ready to attack at any moment as well. He'd already angled his body in a way that would protect Kitra, and I had Rose firmly in my arms.

"What do you want?" her father asked.

"Dad! For real. What is happening? They are with me, and I brought them here because they need your help. You help everyone."

"Not them."

"Why not?"

"Yeah, Dad," I said. "Why not?"

"Oh, for Goddess’ sake, we aren't going to get anywhere like this. Just say it. Your daughter is already well aware of who we are. It's you who we thought would be surprised."

A smile tugged at one corner of my mouth. Leave it to Kitra to get us to the point.

His eyes went wide as his gaze moved from his daughter to each one of us. "She can't know."

"Well, I do," Rose huffed. "These two are dragons, one of which I've seen a little too up close and personal when he shifted inside my cottage, and she is fae. But I know that because I've spent time with them. You haven't. So the more important question is, how do you know?"

Fierce pride rose inside me as Rose questioned her father. It was smart of her to ask questions first.

He scrubbed his hands over his face and let out a breath. "I had a feeling this day would come soon, but your mother disagreed. She thought we had more time."

Kitra stepped forward, and Isaac growled at her. "Don't move any closer to him.”

For the first time since meeting him, I truly understood his possessiveness when it came to her. Kitra was his mate and she meant everything to him.

“Oh my God. Enough.” Rose struggled in my arms, but I refused to let her free. “Dad,” she implored. “Please. Tell them you mean them no harm.”

He stared at us for an uncomfortably long time before he sighed. “Fine. On one condition. Swear on the Goddess that you mean her no harm. And no tricks, or this isn't going to go well for you.”

He held out his arm and waited for me to comply. I tried to puzzle out if this was some kind of maneuver against us, but I could sense no intention other than his daughter's safety.

I grasped his forearm and let the magic of my promise meet and tangle with his own.

With that done, he stepped back and motioned us forward. “Might as well come inside, then. We are going to have some talking to do and I don't think we need an audience for this."

I turned back to see what audience he referred to and spied two hulking men standing fifty feet from the carriage we'd arrived in. Since both had tense postures like they were ready to intervene or join a fight, I assumed they were security of some kind.

"Dad," Rose said. "You're really acting strange. Are you going to tell me what's going on? I don't understand."

"It looks like you have the explaining to do, dearest daughter." The words were commanding, but the arm he wrapped around her was far more loving than he sounded. My dragon didn't like that the other man touched her, but as long as there was no disrespect or malintent, I would tolerate it. For now.

When the heavy oak door closed behind us with a soft thud, the warmth of the home enveloped us. The house was filled with an inviting, golden light that spilled from antique lamps and flickering candles, casting shadows on the deeply hued walls.

A myriad of enticing scents wafted through the air, mingling together. The strongest among them was the unmistakable fragrance of freshly baked apples, rich with cinnamon and nutmeg. The tantalizing smell made my stomach growl, reminding me how long it had been since my last meal.

I glanced at Rose, wondering if she'd heard the embarrassing rumble, but she seemed lost in her own thoughts as she looked questioningly at her dad.

Rose's father glanced in my direction and then leaned closer to his daughter. "Are you hungry? Your mom and I were just putting the finishing touches on dinner. We have plenty.”

"We would appreciate that," Kitra pushed her way to my side. "Just because these two brutes can't remember what manners are, I can. It's been a long day, and I think we could all take a breath."

"Perfect. Let me just go tell Mar?—"

"Oh my Goddess." An older woman screeched from the kitchen doorway. "Are we under attack?"

"Mom!" Rose yelled, stopping her mother from grabbing up the sword that hung on the nearby wall. "No one is under attack. Seriously? What is going on with you two? Are you okay?"

"Rose?" Her mother froze, looking around the rest of us until she found her daughter nestled in my arms. "But?—"

"Don't worry. I believe Rose is going to explain everything over dinner. Her companions are hungry, and I offered to accommodate them."

Rose's mother glanced around at each of us before finally turning back toward the kitchen with a frown on her face. I could feel the tension radiating from her, and the mixed scents of both fear and anger coming from her irritated my senses. I didn't normally care how I made anyone feel, but I'd done nothing to warrant this reception.

"They're not human," Kitra whispered over her shoulder and both Isaac and I exchanged glances.

"Thanks, hon. We got that."

"Go ahead and take a seat at the table. Roger, would you mind carrying the kettle?" She waved to a giant cast iron vessel on the stove that looked more like a cauldron than a pot.

"I'm suddenly getting a case of deja vu. Maybe we should skip dinner."

Kitra looked confused and Rose momentarily hid her face.

"If Martha cooks anything like her daughter, then we might have a problem."

Everyone swung around to face me, half their mouths agape, but Rose's quiet snicker caught my attention. I gave her a pointed look, reminding her I wasn't going to forget. Forgive maybe, but never forget.

"I am so sorry," Kitra said. "I think it's understandable that tensions are high, but I'm quite sure he didn't mean to insult you."

Martha nodded, but her eyes narrowed again, and I couldn’t help but question if all of us were going to make it through this dinner alive.

On a loud sigh, Rose spoke up, "It's my fault he's nervous about the stew. I kind of poisoned him with your lentil recipe."

"My recipe?" she gasped. "How on earth? Are you allergic?"

"No, not exactly."

"I may have doctored your recipe a little with a few extras."

Martha shook her head and wiped her hands on her apron. "Aye, of course. How many times have I told you that you can't go around casting spells while looking down your nose?"

"Casting? You're a witch?" Isaac asked the question before I could.

"My mum is a kitchen witch. All the cool things I know to do with plants, I've mostly learned from her."

"Obviously not everything," I grumbled. "And I've got the near-death experience to prove it."

Martha and Roger both stilled, looking at each other. "Did ya hear that, Roger? She poisoned a dragon. All on her own." The beam of pride was impossible to miss.

"What the hell kind of family is this?" I asked, shaking my head.

"A smart one. Obviously." Roger patted his daughter on the back as everyone but me took a seat.

"It really was an accident. How was I supposed to know that valerian could be fatal to a dragon? And even more importantly, why am I the only one surprised by the fact that he is a dragon? Someone needs to tell me what's going on."

"I'm ready for this story, too," Kitra grabbed a chair and scooped a large serving of the stew into her bowl.

I was still the only one not sitting, but my dragon was protesting as much as I was. And the last thing we needed was for me to lose control. I'd left enough destruction in my wake today.

"Go ahead, dear. Sit. There is no valerian in this house or my food. We do most of our creation down at the shop these days. That's where we keep the greenhouse."

I grumbled. "Why does that not make me feel better?" Despite my reservations, once again my stomach won out. Dragon metabolism was no joke and life got painful if I didn't keep it fueled.

Rose slipped me a tight smile. "Now about the dragons..."