When Two Souls Meet (Dragons of Paragon Book 2) Read online

  Malcolm cleared his throat as he gently moved away from her. Both he and his dragon felt her being in his arms was where she belonged. They felt content to keep her there.

  “We’ll talk more of this later, lass, I promise you, but we’re almost at Ma’s house. If I keep her waiting much longer, there will be no end of her complaining about it.”

  As Carrie pulled herself out of his arms, she noticed something out of the corner of her eyes. It looked like the outline of a dragon floating from his side; it looked like it was a part of Malcolm. Carrie’s eyes widened, but as quickly as she saw the outline, it disappeared. Carrie gave herself a mental shake. Her mind must be playing tricks on her. It’s because I have dragons on my mind, she thought. She put her hand on his to stop him putting the car in gear just yet.

  “Those words you used were beautiful. I think they were Gaelic. What did they mean?”

  Malcolm looked deeply into her eyes and replied, “I said ‘Oh, my love please don't cry!”

  That made Carrie’s eyes start to fill with tears again. For the first time in her life, she felt she had a chance at love.

  He smiled as he put the car in gear to finish the rest of their journey. Carrie had a feeling a whole new world was about to open to her.

  Chapter Two

  Magda saw the car drive up and ran outside. She was by the side of the car by the time Malcolm got out. She gave him a bear hug like it had been years instead of days since she had seen him. He hugged her back with a laugh.

  “Ma, it has been less than a week since I saw you, and you act like I haven’t been home in years.” His mother released him with a smile. “I will always be glad to see you. You will always be my wee bairn, even if you tower over me. You should be used to it by now,” she said with a twinkle in her eyes.

  Carrie had gotten out of the car to watch the banter between the two. Carrie remembered meeting Magda at the wedding, but things were so hectic she hadn’t had a chance to talk to her.

  Magda noticed Carrie watching them with a smile on her face. “Och, where are my manners!” Magda walked over to Carrie and gave her a hug. “Welcome to our home, Carrie. I’m so glad Malcolm invited you to stay with us. Come, let me show you to your room while Malcolm gets your luggage.” She threw Malcolm a look that told him he should take his time as she put her arm around Carrie’s waist, slowly walking into the house and asking her questions about her family in America.

  Malcolm shook his head. His mother had a knack of making someone feel at home while she interrogated them in such a way; they had no idea what she was doing.

  Carrie looked around. Magda’s home was a quaint cottage set in a grove of trees. The first room was the living room. A fireplace sat in the middle of a wall, and there was a couch against the wall that faced the fireplace with a coffee table in front of it. On the opposite walls were recliners with tables and lamps beside each of them. The lamps gave off a warm glow, giving it a comfortable, cozy feeling.

  Carrie could smell something wonderful coming from the kitchen, but Magda took her down a short hall into a beautiful. The walls were peach, and there was a queen-sized bed in the middle with a gorgeous handmade quilt. To the side of the bed was an end table and lamp with a clock resting on it. The curtains were also peach, covering a huge bay window. Carrie gasped at the view.

  She saw a huge lawn with blue flowers planted in the outline of a beautiful blue dragon. “This room is beautiful, and so is the view. I love dragons.”

  Magda gave her a huge smile. “I’m glad you like it.”

  Malcolm came in with Carrie’s luggage.

  Magda started to usher Malcolm out of the room as she looked back at Carrie and said, “You get some rest. Supper will be done in about an hour, so you have some time. Afterward, Malcolm can show you the rest of the house and the grounds.”

  Before Carrie could say anything, Magda had shut the door firmly behind her. Carrie shrugged and decided to give the bed a try. She wasn’t tired, but she could lay there and think about all the things she had seen while she had been in Scotland and try to figure out what it was that Malcolm wasn’t telling her. She knew he was keeping some kind of secret, but she didn’t know what. She hoped he would trust her soon. She had told him her deepest secret and hoped he would do the same.

  Magda and Malcolm sat at the kitchen table, Magda could tell from the concerned look on Malcolm’s face that something was bothering him. “Okay, lad, what’s bothering you so much that your face looks like you had something sour to eat?”

  Malcolm started. How does she always know? “Ma, do you remember the stories you and Da always told me about the Chosen Ones? How some humans had gifts given to them to help dragon shifters?”

  Magda leaned back in her chair. This wasn’t something she had expected. “I do. I remember how your Da and I would tell you tales of the Chosen Ones that were passed down from our parents. Why do you ask?”

  “I think Carrie might be one,” Malcolm said. “She told me when she was a wee lass she knew things were going to happen. She had a feeling her grandmother was going to get shot when she went hunting. She said it was just something she felt. Later that day, her grandmother was shot by a stray bullet. It traumatized Carrie and her mother. I guess her mother was afraid of Carrie’s ability so never mentioned it. The poor lass thinks she is some kind of freak and that just uttering the words made the accident happen. I have never seen someone as grief stricken as she was while she told me her story. She said since she has met Aldain and me, she has a feeling there is more to us than meets the eye, and she has been dreaming of dragons. When I held her in my arms, it felt to me and my dragon like this is where she belongs. We both hated letting her go. I feel like she is connected to us.”

  Magda was shocked. To her knowledge, there hadn’t been a Chosen One in hundreds of years. She sat for a minute, deep in thought. “Well, let’s keep a close eye on her while she’s here. If she’s truly a Chosen One, we’ll know soon enough because dragons act as catalysts for their powers. They get stronger and are enhanced. Let’s see what happens. If she truly is a Chosen One, we will have to take her to the Cailleach.”

  Malcolm shuddered at the mention of the old witch. The difference between a Cailleach and a Chosen One was you went to the Cailleach to ask a question. If she could, she would give you an answer. Cailleaches kept to themselves. You went to them; they didn’t come to you. He would never forget the one time he had seen her. She had long, gray hair, and her eyes were white. She looked blind, but she could see better than a hawk.

  When he was a wee lad, there was a gathering of the clan; a sickness was killing the clan females at an alarming rate. None of the herbs or medicines they used were working, so the clan leader at the time, Aldain’s father, Ian, and a few other clan members went to meet with the Cailleach. Malcolm asked if he could go because he was curious to see what she looked like. He had never seen her but had heard stories. Reluctantly, his father told him he could come.

  The sight of the Cailleach scared Malcolm so badly that his first instinct was to run. He knew if he did, however, his father would be ashamed of him for acting like a coward, so he just stood there. His body shook the entire time, but he held his ground. The Cailleach told them their women were being poisoned by someone within the clan, someone who had joined them and was accepted as a member but blamed them for the death of his mate.

  There was only one new male member of the clan. When Ian called a meeting of the entire clan and shared this information with the clan members, Timothy Marston quickly got up and tried to shift into his dragon to get away. The other dragon shifters were too quick for him and grabbed him before he managed to shift.

  A rogue shifter from Aldain’s clan had killed Timothy’s mate. That rogue was killed by Ian himself, but the death of Timothy’s mate had driven him crazy. When they caught, him he snarled, “This entire clan needs to die. I want to see every one of you dead. As dead as my sweet Laura.”

  Everyone could see that Timot
hy was crazy with grief and felt sorrow for him, but the attempt on the lives of the entire clan, the killing of innocent people, was unforgivable. Ian had no other choice but to sentence him to death. Ian would have preferred banishment, but Timothy would only come back and try again or lie in wait and pick them off one by one. Sadly, this was one dragon shifter that could not be saved. Malcolm never knew how Timothy met his death. It wasn’t discussed or mentioned again.

  That was the only clan meeting ever called with the Cailleach. He had nightmares for weeks after the meeting.

  Magda gave him a curious glance but didn’t ask any questions. She knew the nightmares he had of her when he was little, and the less said the better.

  Chapter Three

  Carrie heard a knock at her bedroom door. It was Malcolm.

  “Carrie, love, supper is ready. Are you awake?”

  She was still groggy as she heard Malcolm at her door. “I am, Malcolm. I will be down shortly.” She wanted to freshen up and change clothes before meeting them in the kitchen.

  She went into the bathroom and saw various kinds of shampoos and soaps stocked on the shelves. She decided on a flower-scented soap that smelled divine. She had a quick shower and changed into a pair of black pants and a low-cut, red lace blouse.

  As Carrie walked into the kitchen, Malcolm stood. His jaw dropped. Carrie looked stunning. The ensemble she wore enhanced her olive complexion. She kept her long black hair loose, and the outfit complemented her full figure. Malcolm’s hands itched to run over the luscious body in front of him. His hands shook as he pulled out a chair for her.

  She smiled. “Thank you, Malcolm. How gallant of you to pull my chair out for me. Most men wouldn’t have even stood up if I had walked in.”

  Magda snorted, “Well, I raised my son to be a gentleman.”

  Carrie smiled. “You did a magnificent job, Magda. He is very much a gentleman.”

  Magda had made an Irish stew. It was delicious. The conversation at the meal stayed light, with Magda enthusiastically telling Carrie stories about Malcolm and some of the things he had done when he was younger, much to his embarrassment. Some of the stories had Carrie laughing so hard her stomach ached. She loved the one where Malcolm had been punished for making a rubber band bomb for one of his unsuspecting friends, John Kerr. John had a paper route and had saved a ball of rubber bands. Early one morning, Malcolm snuck into his friend’s basement and, taking some rubber bands, bobby pins, and some liquid explosive, put together a small bomb. To the naked eye, it looked like a golfball-sized wad of rubber bands. When his friend noticed it later that day and touched it, it caused a small explosion. John showed up at Malcolm’s door with rubber bands sticking out of his hair. Malcolm bent over in laughter, and Malcolm’s dad showed up just in time to see John break Malcolm’s nose.

  William MacMurray had tried to keep a stern look on his face as John told him what Malcolm had done. Malcolm was the only one of his friends who pulled these kinds of pranks, so John knew it was him. William was sure it was Malcolm too, but with John standing in front of him with rubber bands knotted into his hair, it was hard for William not to burst out laughing with Malcolm.

  Still, William looked at his son and said in a deep, stern voice, “Malcolm, what were you thinking, lad? What if John had lost an eye. How would that make you feel? You need to think things through before going off making bombs without thinking of the consequences. You can just stay home for a week and think about how there are always consequences for what you do.”

  He made sure Malcolm was busy that week. He woke him up at dawn every morning and sent him around the neighborhood to mow lawns or split firewood—anything someone might need help doing, Malcolm was there. He was busy from sunrise to sunset, and by the time he got home, he was so tired he would often go straight to bed without eating supper. That week put an end to his pranks.

  Malcolm laughed as hard as Carrie as his mother told the story. He promised Carrie he would introduce her to John during her stay. When supper was over, Magda suggested Malcolm take Carrie to look at the garden and surrounding area. Carrie wanted to help clean up, but Magda wouldn’t hear of it.

  Carrie tried to argue with her, but Malcolm laughed. “It’s no use arguing. Once her mind is made up, nothing is going to change it. We should just do as she says and take a walk.”

  Malcolm reached for Carrie’s hand, and before she could say another word, rushed her outside. He wanted to spend some time alone with her. He wanted to show her his favorite spot for when he wanted to think.

  As they walked hand in hand, they could both feel their bond growing. Malcolm hadn’t made love to Carrie yet. He kept holding himself back. He knew Carrie was his mate, and he had every right to take her, to show her how much she meant to him, but if he did, their bond would be sealed. It wasn’t the same as experiencing the mating ritual, but the bond was almost as strong. He would be able to feel her feelings, and she would be able to feel his. He didn’t know why the idea scared him so much. He had heard of the profound effect the bonding process could have. Malcolm wasn’t a control freak, but he had never lost control of his emotions in his life. He wasn’t sure how it would feel. Today was the day he was going to find out.

  They walked through the garden. Carrie loved it. The beautiful flowers, all colors imaginable, set in strategic places to make it look like something out of a Monet painting. They slowly walked into the woods, Carrie taking a huge breath of the fresh air, smelling the dirt, trees, and flowers of the forest.

  Malcolm told Carrie he wanted to show her his special place where he went to get away from things. She felt honored that he wanted to take her to a place that meant so much to him. It wasn’t long before they came to a clearing in the woods. It was a small clearing, with a brook running through it. She heard the water running. It at once had a calming effect on Carrie. He found a tree not far from the stream and they sat under it, not saying anything, enjoying the solitude. Malcolm gently took Carrie in his arms and looked deeply into her chocolate-brown eyes. He ran a finger lovingly down her cheek. He closed his eyes as he bent his head down to kiss her.

  When his lips touched hers, it was like a heatwave consumed his body. His cock got rock hard. He wanted to feel it inside of her. His heart beat so hard he thought it was going to beat out of his chest. He grabbed the back of her head to pull her closer to him; as the kiss deepened she moaned. He got harder knowing he caused her to elicit that sound.

  Carrie ran her hands over his broad chest as they kissed. It felt like rigid steel. His kiss was causing her body to feel things it had never felt before. She took off his shirt as he removed hers. She just had to feel that naked rock-hard body next to hers. Carrie sucked in her breath as she saw how beautiful his body was. Broad shoulders that tapered to a small waist and six-pack abdominal muscles. His sand-colored hair was shoulder length. He had chiseled features, to his face and a muscular neck. He looked like he should be a model, and he was hers.

  As Carrie’s shirt hit the ground, Malcolm ran his hand down to cup her breasts. He found her nipples hard and he tweaked one with his fingers as he moved his head to take the other into his mouth.

  Carrie gasped. “Oh God, Malcolm, that feels so good.”

  Malcolm ran his tongue over it before sucking it into his mouth. She moaned again. He moved to the other breast, doing the same to it. With his other hand, he slowly moved it down to her pants. Her skin was so soft, it reminded him of rose petals. Soft and silky smooth.

  Carrie raised her hips so he could remove her pants and her lacy thong, which caused him to suck in a breath. God, she was so beautiful. He ran a finger between her folds and found her wet for him. He could smell her pheromones pouring from her body. He groaned as he moved his head down to her womanhood, her scent reminding him of lilacs. He swiped his tongue over it and she shuddered. She grabbed his hair and pulled his face closer. He flicked his tongue in and out of her channel as she reached down to try and reach his pants. He was so much taller than her th
at he stopped what he was doing and practically ripped them off.

  Carrie stared at his stiff, thick erection and thought it the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. She grabbed hold of it and ran her finger over the pre-cum, slowly moving it around the tip.

  Carrie’s ministrations took Malcolm’s mind away from what he was doing only moments earlier. What she was doing to him was making him incapable of coherent thought. His body was inundated with indescribable sensations.

  When Carrie brought her lips to the head and ran her tongue slowly around it, Malcolm groaned. He put his hand around her head and brought it closer. She understood his silent plea. She slowly sucked from the tip as far down as she could go. She wrapped her hand tightly around him and moved it in time with her mouth. Malcolm could feel the warm wetness of her mouth encompass him. He had never experienced anything like it. She moved her mouth faster and took his shaft in so far, he could feel it hit the back of her throat. When she hummed as it hit the back of her throat he almost exploded in her mouth. He moaned as his dragon roared. He could feel his testicles tighten and his cock throb. He was so close, but he wanted to be inside of her when he came.

  In one quick movement, he had her on her back. Carrie was surprised at how fast he moved. He held her hands up with one of his as he positioned his body over hers.

  “Carrie, lass, I have to feel me inside you. I have to know you want this, too.”