Fire Rising

CHAPTER FORTY

Two days later …

Tristan snuggled against his wife in the early hours of the morning. The sun was just coming over the mountains, its red-orange light spilling through the windows across the bed.

Wife. He still couldn’t believe she had agreed to become his mate. At first Sammi had been confused about the entire affair, but Jane had quickly put her at ease.

There had been a moment when Sammi learned there would be no children for a mate of a Dragon King that Tristan thought she might change her mind, but she assured him she wanted nothing more than to be mated to him.

Con didn’t put up a fuss as he had with Kellan and Denae, but he wasn’t happy about it. He had spent hours with Sammi locked in his office with him. Whatever Sammi said sufficed, because she was beaming when she finally exited.

Tristan ran his thumb over the dragon eye that was now tattooed on her skin. All the mates had it appear after they recited their vows in the sacred chamber deep within the mountain.

He rubbed the red and black mixture of ink, still amazed that she was really his.

All of a sudden, a memory flared. He was standing with Logan, another Warrior, as they tried to reach the Isle of Eigg. Wyrran, the hairless yellow-skinned creatures about the size of a child, appeared around them.

Deirdre had created the beasts. He tried to shout a warning to Logan, but before he could get the words out, drough magic infused the air and held him immobile.

Then Deirdre appeared. She was stunningly beautiful except for the evil inside her that turned her floor-length hair and eyes white.

How he hated the Druid.

He tried to break free of the hold, but her magic was too strong. Logan was trying to talk their way out of it, but Deirdre was having none of it.

Then she told him Logan’s secret. Logan had gone to her to become a Warrior. He was stunned, completely taken aback by the regret shining in Logan’s eyes.

If he thought that’s all Deirdre would do, he should’ve known better. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of maroon. Malcolm.

He had always liked the mortal, but now he was a Warrior who did Deirdre’s bidding. He didn’t understand how Malcolm could do such a thing after living at MacLeod Castle for so long.

Deirdre then told Malcolm to take his head.

He glanced at Logan before he settled his gaze on Malcolm. There was no emotion in Malcolm’s maroon eyes as he reared back his hand before he let it go.

Tristan jerked upright in bed, his breathing ragged as the memory of his death as a Warrior became as clear as if it had just happened.

“Tristan?” Sammi asked as she kneeled beside him. “What is it? What happened?”

“I remember how I died as a Warrior.”

Without a word, she leaned over to the bedside table and grabbed her mobile phone. She punched in a number and said, “He remembered how he died.”

Tristan heard Ian’s voice, but couldn’t make out the words. Then Sammi tossed aside the phone and wrapped her arms around him.

“Ian’s coming. He asked me to phone him if you ever remembered.”

Tristan stroked the waves of her sandy hair, which helped to calm his racing heart. A friend had killed him. Logan had kept a dark secret from all the Warriors. Was it his place to tell the Warriors about Logan? He didn’t believe it was. It as Logan’s burden to carry, not his.

There was a knock on the door, startling both of them. Sammi jumped up and grabbed her robe as she padded barefoot to answer the door.

Tristan was slower to rise. He looked around the cottage. They were supposed to spend a week alone before returning to Dreagan, but they had only gotten a few days.

“Tristan?” Ian said.

He turned his back to the door and grabbed a pair of jeans. “I never thought I had been murdered.”

“It’s something I live with every day of my life,” said a new voice.

Tristan whirled around and saw Malcolm. Remorse shone heavily in Malcolm’s blue eyes. The Malcolm he saw in his memories had been cold, stony, callous even.

But the Malcolm standing before him now was a different man. That much was obvious.

“I’m sorry, Dun … Tristan,” Malcolm said. “I know it doesna make up for what I did, but I wanted to be the one to tell you that I did Deirdre’s bidding because she promised to never harm Larena. I … I only wanted to protect her. I didna realize Deirdre would make me take your head.”

Larena. The only female Warrior and cousin to Malcolm who was married to Fallon. Tristan was remembering more and more.

“That nearly did Malcolm in,” Ian said.

Sammi pushed past both men to stand beside him. “What changed?”

Malcolm smiled as he said, “Evie. My wife.”

“I know.” Tristan swallowed and focused on Malcolm. “I was there helping the Warriors against that final battle with Jason Wallace.”

Malcolm winced and let out a sigh. “Which makes me feel even worse. After what I did to you, and then no’ knowing it was you up there helping me save Evie. I have a life I doona deserve.”

“Deirdre was a bitch,” Tristan said.

Ian’s eyes widened. “You remember everything?”

Tristan gave a shake of his head and was grateful when Sammi put her hand in his. “Nay. Every once in a while I’ll remember something, but I know I was a Warrior. I know I was your twin. But I am a Dragon King now.”

“You are my twin,” Ian corrected him with a grin.

Malcolm cleared his throat. “Tristan, I have no right to ask, but can you ever find it in yourself to forgive me one day?”

Tristan looked at Ian who gave Malcolm a pat on his shoulder. His twin had already forgiven Malcolm for his part in it. Why shouldn’t Tristan do the same? Besides, he had a feeling Malcolm had suffered enough from his dealings with Deirdre.

“I forgive you,” he said.

The relief on Malcolm’s face was worth it. Tristan would have to relive his memory of dying forever, but Malcolm had done it for family.

Tristan knew what that meant. He would do anything for Sammi and Ian, and also Dani. She was part of his family now. As were Jane and Banan.

“There was another Warrior with me. Logan,” Tristan said.

Ian exchanged a look with Malcolm. “Aye. Witnessing your death while he could do nothing set Logan on his heels. He told us his secret, the one that Deirdre shared with you.”

“Everything all worked out?” Fallon asked as he stepped up behind Malcolm and Ian.

Malcolm looked to him.

“Aye,” Tristan said.

Ian shoved the others out. “Let’s leave the newlyweds alone.”

A second later, Fallon had jumped them out of the cottage. Tristan sank onto the edge of the bed as Sammi stepped between his legs and rested her arms on his shoulders.

“Are you really okay?”

He shrugged and pulled the belt of her robe loose. It fell open to reveal her gorgeous body. He leaned in to kiss one pink-tipped nipple and felt it harden against his mouth.

“I am with you in my arms,” he said before sucking the nipple deep in his mouth.

A moan rumbled from her as she shifted her shoulders and the robe fell to the floor. He fell backward with her in his arms before he rolled her onto her back. Tristan lifted his head to smile at her.

“You’re going to be the death of me,” she said with a smile, her powder blue eyes dark with desire.

“Then we’ll go together, love, because our lives, our souls are intertwined.”

“God, how I love you,” she said and ran her fingers through his hair.

“No’ near as much as I love you.”

All words ceased as their passion became too great. The need to claim each other, to mark each other was all that mattered.

That and the harmony that they had searched for—and found—within each other.