Dragon with the Girl Tattoo by Julia Mills

Chapter Sixteen

Waking up to Lennox kissing her neck was definitely a welcomed improvement from the way she’d awakened after spending the first night with her Mate. Oh, yeah, this was so much better, and the way she planned to spend every other night of her very long life.

Rolling onto her back, she laid her hand on his cheek and breathed, “Well, hello there, Handsome.”

“Hey, that was gonna be my line only I was thinking more along the lines of Hello, Gorgeous.”

Leaning forward, Lennox’s lips touched hers in the softest of kisses that soon became an affirmation of everything they were ready to discover as True Fated Mates. Pulling back with a groan, her Dragon laid his forehead to hers and sighed, “I really don’t want to let you out of this bed.”

“Then don’t,” she purred, kissing along his jaw.

Closing his eyes, Lenn leaned his head to the side as she nibbled and teased his neck, rumbling, “But I have to, Max is downstairs.”

“Who?” She mumbled, more interested in making love to her Mate than hearing the answer.

“The King of the Big Cats, Max Prentice.”

At the sound of a name she hadn’t heard in nearly fifty years, Tessa’s eyes popped open and she leaned back. “Max, as in Maximillian?”

“Yeah,” Lennox grinned. “I hear you two are related.”

Biting her bottom lip, Tessa couldn’t believe her ears. She hadn’t heard hide nor hair of her cousin since the day his father was killed in a rogue Hyena attack in the jungles of South America. Although she talked to her great-grandfather Antonio at least once a month, he rarely mentioned any of her feline relatives. Sadly, even when she asked about her relatives, he always deflected the question.

“We are.”

“But…”

Eyes glistening with the need for more information, Tessa shrugged. “But nothing…really. As I’m sure Babs told Kayne and he told you, I inherited my Black Panther genes from my great-grandfather, Antonio. He was mated to a Vampire, back when it was a serious taboo to have a Mate of another species.”

“Anyway, they had twin sons, one Panther and one Vampire. As you can guess, the Panther was readily accepted into the Pride while my great-grandmother and the other twin were ostracized. Later, Antonio’s Mate died, and his Vampire son was sent to live with Laticia’s family. Since then, the two sides of the family have been estranged. Not quite like the Hatfields and McCoys, but most assuredly not friendly. I was the first of the Vampire line to show any traits of the Panther. A few decades later came my sister, Amara.”

“So, you grew up knowing you were a Vaepanther but with no one but Vampires to help you go through your first Shift? Your first hunt? Your first… everything?”

Nodding, she explained, “Yeah, Ulnac decreed I was to live as a Vampire unless I had to Shift. He had no clue what being a Panther, or anything other than a Vampire for that matter, was like. Honestly, he didn’t care.”

Giving a wry chuckle as she remembered, Tessa went on, “That is until the day before my fifteenth birthday when I was in the middle of an argument with my oldest sister, Maisa. I can’t recall what we were fighting about, just that I was so mad I could barely see straight. Add that to the raging hormones of an adolescent girl who has both the soul of a Black Panther and Vampire blood running through her veins and let me tell ya’, you’re in for a big surprise.”

Laughing out loud, she continued, “Right there in the Courtyard of Mooreland Castle, surrounded by human servants and Vampire dignitaries, I shifted to my Black Panther and ripped right through my uncle’s immaculately manicured rose garden.”

Lennox howled with laughter, a sound Tessa knew she wanted to hear over and over again for as long as she lived. When her Mate finally caught his breath, she chuckled as he grinned, “So, I’m guessing the ban on communication between the two sides of the family was lifted.”

“You got it.” She kissed his cheek. “But only for Abuelo Antonio. As for the rest, I didn’t meet them until I was much older and even then, they were standoffish. Vampires aren’t their cup of tea. It didn’t matter that we were family.”

“Then I act like I did when we first met.” Lennox pulled her into his lap. “I am so sorry.”

Gently placing her index finger on his lips, Tessa shook her head, “No need. All that’s in the past.” Lifting her finger, she gave him a quick kiss. “And as for my family, well, nothing I can do about that.” Smiling hopefully, she added, “But I would love to see Max again. He always was one of the good ones.”

“Okay, if, you’re sure.”

“I am.”

“Max is good people. And I could tell he is very excited to see you again.”

Letting Lennox lift her off the bed and set her feet on the floor, Tessa pulled her sexy Dragon down for one more kiss before leaning back and breathing, “Then I want to hear more about your plan to never leave the bedroom.”

“Oh baby, it would be my pleasure.”  

Several more incredibly passionate kisses and one cold shower later and Tessa was dressed in a pair of yoga pants and a T-shirt Calysta had sent over for her. Making her way down the stairs, she listened to Max giving Lennox a hard time about taking care of his cousin.

Making her way into the kitchen, she leaned her hip against the counter and crossed her arms, teasing, “I’m sorry, did someone die and make you my keeper, Maximillian Prentice?”

“No one had to die, Muñeca. I am the King. I assign the tasks.” Looking at her Mate with a wicked gleam in his eye, Max continued, “I am going to hug my cousin. I know you Dragons get all surly, but I suggest you work through the side effects of the Mating Call on your own time. It’s been way too long since I have seen this beautiful girl.”

Wrapped up in Max’s warm embrace, Tessa could feel her Panther reaching for his. Pandia purred and rolled on her back, happy to be reunited with one of her kin.

“Thanks, Kiddo,” the Black Panther hummed. “I really needed this.”

“Me too, Pandia. Me too.”

Stepping back but keeping his hands on her arms, Max smiled, “My, what a gorgeous woman you have become. I am so sorry Sophia missed you, but she was called home. And let us not forget, Antonio will want pictures.”

Dropping his hands and stepping back, the King pulled his cell phone from his pocket and began snapping pictures before Tessa was anywhere near ready.

“Max!” She squealed, holding her hands in front of her face and turning her head away. “Stop! I hate having my picture taken at the best of times. I just got up. I must look a mess.”

Feeling Lennox’s arms slide around her waist, her body warmed as he turned them both toward Max and whispered in her ear, “Smile, Mo ghrá. It’s our first picture together.”

With her heart about to beat out of her chest, she gave up the fight, and leaned back against her Mate. Smiling at her cousin, she immediately asked, “Max, can you send me that one, please?”

“Of course, Mi pequeño gatito.” Looking at his phone, he added, “It is a lovely picture of a beautiful couple.”

Turning in Lenn’s arms, Tessa went on her tip toes to give him a quick kiss then stepped back and turned toward the counter. Picking up the mug of coffee he’d already poured for her, she sat down at the kitchen table across from Max. Patting his hand, she inquired, “Lennox says you’re here because of the Cambion. That this is happening all over the world.”

Setting down his coffee, Max leaned forward. “It is, and I am so sorry to hear that Ulnac was and is involved.” Nodding towards her Mate, he went on, “Your Dragon here, said your uncle has your father with him.” Laying his hand over hers, he asked, “You are sure Thomas is not involved?” Lovingly squeezing her fingers, he reassured, “Your father is a good man, but we both know how persuasive Ulnac can be. he is the Master of your Kiss, which affords him power over those with whom he shares a blood bond.”

Tessa wanted to be mad. She wanted to stand up and shout her outrage at Max’s gall for questioning her father. Her need to defend the man who’d always stood by her almost had her doing just that. But then she took a moment to play back what had happened in Babs’ foyer and her answer was clear.

“You’re right, Max. My dad is a good man, and I could tell he has no clue why he’s along on this ‘business trip’ as Ulnac called it.”

“Good,” Max reassured. “I just wanted to make sure before we proceeded with any plans.”

“Before we talk about the strategy you all have worked up for defeating the Cambion once and for all…” Looking over her shoulder at Lennox, Tessa winked then looked back to Max. “So, tell me, what is this about Lennox being ‘the Mad Bomber’?”

Throwing back is head and roaring with laughter, it took Max several seconds to recover in which time her Mate explained. “Some might say I have a knack for blowing things up.” Grinning like a little boy talking about his Christmas presents, he quickly added, “On purpose, of course.  Always blow things up on purpose and with good reason.”

“Of course…?”

Thrilled that Lennox picked up where she’d left off, she listened closely as he continued. “I was a munitions expert in the army, several times over. I quickly found out I was good at it. Where to place the charges to get the structures to fall the way we needed them to, how to direct the blast away from us and onto our enemies, stuff like that – it was all second nature to me. Since then, I’ve gotten even better. Hence, these bozos…” Winking at Max who was still chuckling, he added. “…have nicknamed me the Mad Bomber.”

Smiling because she could feel how proud her Mate was of his skill, she couldn’t help but still be afraid. “Alright, Mad Bomber, you gotta do what you gotta do, but you have to promise me to be careful. I need you in one piece.”

Pulling her out of her chair and onto his lap, Lennox kissed her neck while whispering, “Whatever you say, Mo stór.”

A buzz filled the air right before Lennox’s lips froze on her skin and Max got out of his chair. Waiting for one of them to tell her what was happening, Tessa tuned into the faint static, and in the blink of an eye, she could hear Kayne speaking to her Mate and a gruff Big Cat Shifter speaking to Max in Spanish.

Since she hadn’t spoken Spanish in more years than she could remember, the Vaepanther listened to the Demi-God as he explained, “Still no sign of the Cambion or Tessa’s uncle. Have you had a chance to ask her if she can think of any place they might be using as a home base?”

“He didn’t, but I can tell you now if that’s okay.” Tessa chuckled at the surprised exclaims of both Guardsmen. “You two need to pay closer attention. Ya’ never know who might be eavesdropping.”

“You can eavesdrop anytime, Darlin’” Lennox purred.

To which Kayne pretended to gag, “Oh my Goddess, can you save the mushy crap for when I’m not around?”

“Shut up, Kayne,” the couple snickered in unison just before Max spoke aloud.

“Juan Carlos has called. We are to meet with Rian and the others in the Grand Hall right away.”

“Okay,” Tessa answered, climbing off Lennox’s lap as he told Kayne they would be right there.

With her hand securely in her Mate’s while walking beside her cousin, Tessa smiled despite the situation. Sure, things would drastically change in the next few hours, but she knew with Lennox by her side there was nothing she couldn’t handle.

“Now, bring on Ulnac the asshole and his soul-sucking monsters,” Pandia resounded. “I’m ready to kick some serious ass.”