Dragon with the Girl Tattoo by Julia Mills

Chapter Fourteen

“Why did I even come here?” Tessa grumbled to herself as she stomped off in the direction of Babs’ house. “He has to be the most stubborn, pig-headed, waste of my time that ever…”

“Yes, yes, and yes.”

Coming to a complete stop, Tessa twirled around like a top only to find Kayne standing next to her smiling like the cat that ate the canary.

“What do you want?” She spat then immediately added in a repentant tone, “I’m sorry. It’s not your fault he’s such a jerk.” Letting her head fall forward, she murmured, “What a mess.”

“It’s not a mess. Lenn is just… Well… He’s got a lot to answer for where you’re concerned, plus a whole crap load of baggage he needs to dump.” Laying his hand on her shoulder, the Guardsman smiled knowingly. “His past has come knocking and the boy isn’t dealing well with it.”

Looking up, she sighed, “Let me guess, he’s got history with Vamps?”

“You got it,” Kayne nodded. “But it’s past history, ancient for sure, and once you two have time to talk, I know it’ll all be water under the bridge.”

“Water under the bridge?” Tessa’s ground out, her anger going from simmering to boiling in the blink of an eye. “What could he possibly say that would make me forget how he left me all alone, in a Clinic, with complete strangers, right after making love to me?” Stepping up to the Demi-God, she pushed up on her toes. With the tip of her nose almost touching his, she went on, “Or is that the way Dragons treat their Mates?”

Her words still hanging in the air, Tessa felt a strong grip on her arms before the world was spinning. Suddenly face-to-face with the same glowing green eyes that had entranced her just a few short days ago, Pandia purred as her own heart skipped a beat. The notion of forgiving the big dope flashed in her mind, but Tess was no fool.

“And you’re not gonna get played for one,” Pandia announced.

“Well, lookie who stopped purring and got with the program.”

“Yeah, I’m here. Momentary insanity caused by a rush of hormones. Now, tell that Dragon if he’s got issues, he better grow a pair and talk about them or get the hell over it.”

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Struggling against his gentle but firm grasp, she warned, “Let me go, or I swear I’ll do whatever it takes to make you pay for manhandling me.”

Letting the picture of her kicking Lennox in the balls flow from her mind to his, she laughed out loud when his eyes went wide and he pulled his butt backward just a bit.

“Tessa, listen, I…”

“You what? Want to apologize? Explain? Promise you’ll never be a jerk again?” Tearing her arms from her hands, she stepped back. “Well, I don’t accept. I don’t want to hear it. And I don’t believe you.”

Planning a grand exit, she spun to the left only to find Lennox right in her path with his lips immediately on hers. It was just as explosive as the first time, with all the fire and passion that can only come from being with one’s True Fated Mate.

Gone was all her anger and resentment. The pain she felt at his rejection faded away, like a distant memory, with every stroke of his tongue.

Tearing his lips from hers, Lennox held her face captive as he looked deep into her eyes. “You’ve wound around my heart and made me whole. You shine warm, wonderful light into my soul. Vulcan, my Dragon King loves you already. I can’t be without you… don’t want to be anywhere but by your side. I’m a slave to what we are together, and dammit, I’m so sorry for ever thinking I could live my life without you.”

Needing to be strong, even though Pandia was already making Mating ceremony plans, Tessa pushed the palms of her hand against his chest as she shook her head. “No, no way. You don’t get to kiss me like that and say your sweet words and think all is forgiven.”

Clenching her fists, she hit his chest. “You hurt me. You humiliated me and worst of all…” Her eyes glowed so brightly even she could see the light as she held nothing back, grounding out through gritted teeth, “You made me doubt myself.”

Stepping back, she glared, “No one. And I mean no one, not even you gets to treat me that way.”

In a shocking move that had Tessa holding her breath, Lennox dropped to his knees, wrapped his hands around hers and laid his forehead on their joined hands. “I will spend the rest of my life bearing the shame of what I did to you. I have no excuse, no words that can make it go away. I can only give you my heartfelt promise, I will use every second of every day for the rest of our lives working to be the best Mate you could ever hope for.”

It took everything in her not to kneel beside him, when Lennox looked up with unshed tears in his eyes, and implored, “I beg you, Tessa. Please look into my heart. See the truth in my words. Feel the love I already have for you, and the remorse I feel for causing you even a moment of pain.” Taking a quick breath that she felt in the center of her chest, he added, “I know I have no right to ask, but will you please let me tell you a bit about my past. Again, it’s no excuse for my behavior, but maybe, afterwards, you’ll understand me a little better.”

With her heart and soul screaming for her to listen to the man on his knees before her and Pandia telling her to do it, it still took Tessa several tense seconds, before she could bring herself to give in and nod. Index finger shooting up between them, she leveled her gaze and sternly advised, “But we’re talking out here.” Wagging her finger, she added, “And no kissing me to get your way. Just talk. Got it?”

Getting to his feet, Lennox smiled, “Okay. I’ll do my best, but it’s really hard not to touch you.” Bowing his head, the remorse in his voice was louder than the words when he admitted, “I’ve missed you like crazy.”

“And whose fault is that?” She snapped, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, I take all the credit for being a Class A jerk.”

As he touched the small of her back, sparks of their connection skittered up her spine. It was the best feeling in the whole damned world, but she wasn’t ready to give in yet. She had to hear him out. Then she would decide.

“Yeah, okay,” Pandia chuckled. “You can live in denial for the next couple of minutes, but I’ll be singing Going to the Chapel up in here.”

Following where he motioned with his free hand, Tessa smiled to see a beautiful garden just a few yards away. Once seated on a lovely little stone bench nestled between perfectly maintained peony and azalea bushes of every size and color, Tessa looked at Lennox.

Waiting patiently, she couldn’t take her eyes off his profile as he looked out into the garden. The chaos of his thoughts pushed into her mind. She saw visions of a bloody battle. So many dead she didn’t dare to try to count.

Anguish and sorrow filled the air. Her heart hurt at the thought of Lenn having been there, having to go through so much. Ready to call off their little talk, to tell her Mate they could wait for a better time, his low, baritone murmur sounded in the silence.

“Kayne said you came to help us.” Staring at his hands, her Dragon looked lost. “So, I’m guessing you’ve seen the Cambion or at least know of their existence?”

“Yes,” she quietly answered.

“Have you dealt with them before?”

As he looked up, Tessa was pleasantly surprised to see the absence of accusation in her Mate’s eyes. After what Kayne had told her about a Master Vampire controlling the Cambion, she was sure Lennox would think she was somehow involved.

Slowly nodding, she explained, “Yes, but we were in North America while your parents were here.” At his surprised look, she reached forward and tapped his temple. “You’re projecting quite loudly.”

“Yeah, I do that a lot.” With a half-hearted snort, he looked back down and continued. “But in this case, it might make things easier.”

Turning, Lennox laid his hand on her thigh. “I wasn’t old enough to fight. I was left here.”

Voice trailing off, so full of regret, she couldn’t help but lay her hand over his and smile when his eyes finally met hers. “You don’t have to go on. I can see it all in your mind.”

Watching his parents was unlike anything she’d ever seen. They were in perfect synchronization, always at each other’s back, fighting the enemy as no others could. She watched them leave a trail of blood and destruction, cutting through the enemy as if they were little more than saplings to be used for kindling.

The breath caught in her throat when a Master Vampire, one she recognized all too well, appeared out of nowhere. Using his immense mental acuity, Ulnac held Lennox’s parents immobile as members of his Kiss drained them dry.

Tears streamed down her face as she asked, “How did you know? Who told you? The memories are so vivid. At first, I was sure you’d been there.”

Wiping the tears from her face with the back of his crooked finger, Lennox comforted, “Don’t cry, Mo chroí. I can’t take your tears.” Smiling sadly as she sniffed and held back her tears, he explained, “For a long time, Ronan, our Leader at that time, wouldn’t give me details. He said all I needed to know was that my parents were heroes and that they died valiantly - but it wasn’t enough. I had to know what happened.”

Hand dropping from her face, he kept telling the tale as he wound his fingers through hers. “One night while Rory, the Leader’s youngest son, Pearce my roommate and I were having a camp out in the O’Reilly’s backyard, I snuck in and read old Ronan’s memories while he was sleeping. I couldn’t believe everything they’d kept that from me. I was angry and more than a little bitter. I felt betrayed by the very people who came home when my parents did not.”

Raising their joined hands to his lips, he kissed the back of Tessa’s before going on. “And I thought I’d put it all behind me.” Avoiding her eyes, he sighed, “Until Calysta said you were part Vampire. It was like a switch had been flipped. All the old resentment came back with a vengeance. I felt betrayed and hurt. I thought you were using me. That you were going to hurt my Clan.”

Shaking his head so quickly his features blurred right before her eyes, he chastised, “I lost my bloody mind is what I did.” Eyes once again finding hers, he slowly shook his head. “And I was wrong… dead wrong, and I am so sorry.”

Taking a deep breath, Tessa cocked a single eyebrow as she warned, “Well, you might want to hold that thought because I saw something in your memories…” Pausing to gather her resolve, she bit her bottom lip. “…or rather the memories you appropriated from your Leader that may change your mind right back to hating me.”

Removing the mental blocks she’d placed in her mind after Lennox’s betrayal, Tessa forged ahead. “The man responsible for your parents’ deaths and the one I believe is running the show now, is none other than the Master of my Kiss and my uncle, Ulnac Mooreland.”

Holding her breath as the light dimmed in Lennox’s eyes, Tessa felt him probing her memories. Saw him watching her squirm every time Ulnac was near. Heard her telling her mother and father over and over how much she hated him and wanted to go live with her great-grandfather and the Big Cats in South America.

She knew the second Lennox reached her most recent memories of not-so-dear Uncle Ulnac when his grip on her fingers tightened and scales of the lightest blue appeared on his jawline, forearms and the backs of his hands. Waiting for him to speak, Tessa felt light-headed. Her heart raced as she prayed there wouldn’t be a repeat of the past.

Exhaling slowly, Lennox nodded, “You did the right thing coming here. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you. It should’ve been me you came to talk to, not Kayne. Can you ever forgive me?”

The remorse he felt for treating her so unfairly beat at her just as strongly as his fury at her uncle. Unsure what to say next, Tessa went with her gut and asked, “You really don’t blame me or my father for what’s happening?”

The bitter scent of regret overpowered the lovely aroma of flowers as Lennox closed his eyes and sighed. “I’m so sorry you even have to ask that.” Opening his eyes, he pulled her into his lap in one fell swoop and wrapped his arms around her waist.

“Hey, I said no kissing,” Tessa teased to lighten the mood.

“But you didn’t say that I couldn’t hold you.”

“Oh, I see how it’s gonna be,” she snickered.

“Yep, you got it. I’m gonna take every opportunity I can find, and some I have to create, to have you in my arms.” His expression turned serious. “But honestly, I never should’ve given you any reason to doubt me. For that, I can never apologize enough.”

Laying her hand on either side of his face, Tessa leaned forward until her lips hovered just above his. She couldn’t help but smile when he teased, “Hey, you said no kissing.”

“No,” she winked. “I said you couldn’t kiss me.”

His low groan as their lips touched sent tingles racing through her body but it was his whispered, “I love the way you think, M’fhíorghrá,” that filled her heart to near bursting and gave Tessa back the hope she’d thought was lost forever.