Secrets of the Dragon’s Heart (Mysteries of Dragon’s Island #6)

Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

***CAMERON***

C ameron burst out laughing, “Oh, sweetheart, you don’t give up, do you?” he asked, then gave her a quick kiss. “That’s a long and complicated story, maybe you should rest a while before we talk about it.”

“Oh, Cameron, I’m sorry, I get carried away. I just can’t help myself sometimes,” she said. “You don’t have to tell me, I’ve already snooped on you enough.”

“And I forgive you,” he said, unable to resist giving her another kiss. “But this is something we have to talk about, it affects us both, at least I hope it does. I would feel better if you rested for a while first though, it doesn’t look like the rain is going to quit for a while, so we have plenty of time.”

“Only if you’ll lie down with me,” Kennedy said. “I need to be near you right now.”

After putting a few more logs on the fire, he gathered her into his arms and lay down with Kennedy, a feeling of peace finally settling over him. She was asleep in only a few seconds, her breath warm on his chest, and he closed his eyes, wondering if he was crazy to even be considering throwing everything away for a woman. Kennedy sighed in her sleep, and a wave of protectiveness rolled over him. He pulled her just a little closer, the answer clear to him.

He'd never felt this way about anyone in his life, never understood what it meant to truly love someone, but it had all become so clear as they stood there facing the tiger. His life would be empty without Kennedy. She’d woken something inside him, something that would never be silenced again and he would be forever grateful. No matter what it cost, he was going to be with her; nothing else mattered, not the pack, not his family. The dragon inside him had made that clear over and over, but he’d been too stubborn to listen.

He was listening now; the message had been delivered, and he wasn’t going to ignore it this time. He’d learned his lesson the hard way with the tiger. Just thinking how close the animal had come to Kennedy made his protective instincts come to life, and he wasn’t about to chance another encounter like that one. He couldn’t help but wonder where the animal had come from. Matt had made it clear that there were no big animals on the island; it was strange and unexplainable.

When he realized that there was only one explanation, although not a very logical one, he found himself looking around the cave as a shiver ran through him. The island could not have made a tiger appear. It wasn’t possible, things don’t just materialize out of thin air, but deep down he knew the truth. Closing his eyes with a sigh, he wondered how he was ever going to admit to Max that he might have been wrong. His friend would never let him live it down.

The only alternative was to lie to him, and Cameron wasn’t about to do that. He’d just have to take the I told you so’s and hope that his friend would forget how stubborn he’d been. That was really the least of his worries. Now that he was committed to keeping Kennedy in his life, there were going to be bigger challenges, larger problems to solve, and a life to plan together.

Aware that he was getting ahead of himself, as Kennedy hadn’t even fully accepted him and his abilities yet, he closed his eyes again. Instead of thinking about the future, he needed to enjoy this moment. He’d waited so long to hold Kennedy in his arms, he was ruining it with his incessant worrying. He fell asleep listening to her even breathing and slept soundly for the first time since she’d jumped onto the boat on the way to the island, a smile on his face.

Kennedy was the first one to stir, and he opened his eyes to find her leaning on one hand, looking down at him. “You snore,” she said, then sat up all the way and looked outside. “It’s still raining. I guess we’re stuck here for a while longer.”

Unable to resist, he sat up and pulled her into his arms. “Are you feeling better?” he asked. “Maybe we should eat something.”

Kennedy’s stomach began to growl. “I guess that’s your answer,” she said, putting her hand over her stomach. “It has been a long time since lunch.”

“Let’s see what we’ve got to eat,” he said, pulling both backpacks over to them. “I finished all my lunch, but I think you said something about emergency supplies.”

“Still think I overdid it?” she asked. “Or would you like to admit now that I’m a genius?”

“I don’t know about a genius, that might be pushing it,” he said, grinning at her. “Let’s see what you brought first. I bet it’s some of those nasty energy bars or something.”

“You’re close,” she said, pulling out a dehydrated meal in a silver package. “But we’ll have a hot meal, and Matt threw in a couple of desserts, so we can indulge our sweet tooth.”

“Spaghetti and meatballs, sounds delightful,” he said, then read the package. “It says all we need is hot water.”

“You can make them work with cold water too, it just takes a long time, and it’s a bit disgusting,” Kennedy said. “That’s why I made sure we had that little water pot.”

“I’ll build up the fire and heat some water,” he said. “I don’t think I want to try the cold-water version, thank you very much.”

“I’ll do it, I need to stretch my legs,” Kennedy said. “And it’s my turn to take care of you.”

“I like the sound of that,” he said, grinning at her. “What exactly did you have in mind?”

Kennedy gasped, a blush spread across her cheeks, and she jumped to her feet, then remembered that she wasn’t wearing any shorts. Tugging the sweatshirt down, her cheeks even pinker, she looked over at him. “Don’t you dare say a word,” she said. “I don’t suppose my shorts are dry yet?”

“Nope,” he said, still grinning. “And I’m sure glad.”

***Kennedy***

Kennedy scooped the last bite of spaghetti out of the bottom of the bag, shoved it into her mouth, chewed as quickly as she could, and then swallowed it with a groan of disgust. “Well, that was edible, but that’s about all I can say,” she said, shoving the spoon in the bag and closing it. “

“It will keep us alive, but that’s about it,” Cameron said, setting his bag next to hers. “I don’t know about that chocolate cake. My sweet tooth might be just fine without it.”

“Let’s save it for later, I’m not up to that experiment yet,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “Do you think it’s ever going to stop raining? It’s going to be dark soon, and if it doesn’t we may have to spend the night here.”

“Hmmm…that brings a few interesting ideas to mind,” he said, scooting closer to her. “You’re going to need someone to keep you warm. ”

“Oh yeah, and I suppose you’re volunteering for the position,” she said. “I’ll need to see your resume, Mr. Sullivan.”

“As a matter of fact, there are several positions I would like to apply for,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows at her. “You on your back would be the first one.”

Kennedy gasped. The playful look in her eyes was replaced by desire, and he had to force himself not to pull her into his arms. “Cameron, tell me about this shifter thing,” she said, her eyes locked on his. “How does it work?”

Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly. “I’ve been avoiding this conversation,” he said. “I’m afraid that it’s going to ruin everything between us.”

“Why?” Kennedy asked. “I’ve already seen what you can do. I’ll admit that it scared me at first; I mean, you did turn into a dragon after all, but when I realized that it was you, the fear disappeared.”

“That’s not the problem, I wish it was that simple,” he said, taking her hand. “This thing between us, Kennedy, is forbidden by my clan. I’m not allowed to be with a regular human, and I have to keep the bloodline clean for my future children.”

Kennedy was silent for a few seconds. “Are you some kind of royalty or something?” she finally asked. “Are you going to get in trouble for breaking rules? What can they do to you?”

Cameron reached up and covered her lips with his finger. “I can see why you’re such a good reporter,” he said, smiling at her. “But how about asking me one question at a time.”

“Sorry,” she said. “I get…”

“Carried away,” he finished for her, then gave her a kiss. “I’m not royalty, at least not the way you’re thinking. My father is the leader of the clan, and as his first-born son, I’m supposed to be his successor. He also expects me to take over the family business, marry the right woman, and have a couple of kids to keep the family line going.”

A wave of disappointment washed over Kennedy. Cameron wasn’t a free man, he was destined for another woman. “Oh, I see,” she said, scooting away from him again. “That’s a lot of responsibility.”

“I don’t want any of it. I never have, I never will, and now that I’ve met you, I want it even less,” he said. “That secret room in my lab is there because I’m trying to prove that our ability to shift isn’t magical or mystical, it’s simply a difference in our genetic code. If I can just prove that all the old legends and stories aren’t true, maybe I can convince my father that I’m not the right one for the clan. My brother is the one who should be taking over. He’s far better suited for the job. I would hate every second of it, and I don’t want to marry someone I don’t love. I always hoped someday I would be free to find the love of my life, but I guess it didn’t quite work out that way. I found you, but I’m not free to love you.”

“What would happen if you didn’t do what your father wants?” she asked. “What can he do to you?”

“He could banish me from the clan, cut me off from all my friends and family,” he said. “I would be completely on my own. It’s the worst punishment there is in the clan, but I think you might be worth it, Kennedy. I’ve spent my entire life trying to avoid falling in love, but here we are, and I don’t know if I can go back, I don’t know if I can let you go. It might be too late for that.”

“Maybe you’ve just been waiting for me,” she said, not willing to give him up without a fight. “This thing between us feels so right, I can’t believe that it’s wrong, no matter what your clan says.”

“I’m not giving up on us, if that’s what you’re thinking,” he said, his voice suddenly full of determination. “I’m going to figure this out. I’ll stay in the lab twenty-four hours a day if I have to, but I’m not giving you up.”

“I don’t want to give you up either, especially not to another woman,” she said, then got to her feet. “You belong to me, Cameron, we’re supposed to be together. I don’t know how I know that, but I do, and I don’t want to wait any longer for you to claim me.”

Pulling the sweatshirt over her head only took a couple of seconds, but Cameron was already on his feet trying to stop her. “Kennedy, don’t…” he started to say, but the sweatshirt was already drifting to the floor of the cave, leaving her standing by the fire in only her bra and panties, and his words died away in an appreciative sigh.