The Dragon Guardian (Lochguard Highland Dragons 2)
Fergus nodded. “If it’s truly them, I wouldn’t blame her for running. Their brutal and narcissistic reputation precedes them. The only question is if you’ll offer her protection and allow her to stay.”
“I think the bigger questions are how do you know so much about the lass and why were you watching her in the first place?”
His dragon spoke up. Tell him the truth. It will give Gina the greatest chance for safety.
Give me a chance, you bloody beast.
Finn crossed his arms over his chest and remained silent. Standing up straight, Fergus answered, “My dragon wants her.”
His cousin raised his brows. “And how do you know this? If she’s pregnant, she won’t stir the mate-claim frenzy.”
“Aye, but my beast is insistent. Even more so after I kissed her. You of all people should understand the significance.”
Finn’s dragon had wanted the nearly uncatchable Arabella MacLeod. Only through perseverance had Finn won Arabella’s heart. “You’ve mentioned your dragon, but what about the human female? I won’t keep her here against her will, Fergus. Do you think she’d want to stay with you, too?”
“I don’t know, but I have a proposal, if you’d like to hear it.”
Finn motioned a hand. “By all means. The fewer plans I have to devise, the more time I can spend with my mate.”
“I didn’t plan to burden you with this, Finn. I hope you know that.”
His clan leader smiled. “Of course I do. Our dragons are unpredictable at best. And considering you’re here talking to me about it, you’re already doing better than your brother.”
Fraser had kept the secret of Holly being his true mate from everyone and had caused a lot of trouble in the process. “Aye, well, I think we all learned from that.” Finn nodded and Fergus continued, “I’m not sure if you’ve paid attention over the years, but I’ve been collecting human myths about our kind.”
“It was mentioned, although I can’t say I paid too much attention.”
“You always were more interested in talking with people in the present than learning about the past, so I can’t blame you.”
Finn shrugged. “We all have our strengths. Your obsessive attention to details has helped the clan more often than you know.”
Fergus gathered intelligence for Finn and the Lochguard Protectors. “Well, it’s going to prove useful in this instance as well. Have you ever heard of the Dragon Guardians of Scotland?” Finn shook his head and Fergus explained. “Back when the humans lived together in clans, dragon-shifters had much closer relationships with humans than they do today. The humans even fostered their own kind of sacrifice system by marrying off daughters of the lairds to some of the dragon-shifters. That way, the dragons wouldn’t try to attack them and would even help protect the human clans from invaders.”
“That much I do know. Get to the bit about the Guardians.”
Fergus hated to be rushed, but Finn was a busy dragonman. “Since there wasn’t a DDA, the lairds set up a type of protection for their daughters. A dragon-shifter acted as a Guardian to the female during the first year she lived on a dragon clan’s lands. If anything happened to the daughter, the Guardian would be held responsible and be executed by the human laird.”
“Sounds like a fun job,” Finn drawled.
Fergus ignored Finn’s comment. “The best Guardians performed their duties for their entire lives. They earned reputations in the Highlands as protectors of humankind. While the truth is somewhat less brilliant, the job was an important one. Only those with patience, strong wills, and an innate desire to protect were selected.”
“And how do the Guardians relate to the human female?”
Standing up tall, Fergus answered, “I want to bring the practice back and be Gina’s Guardian. For the first year, I will guarantee her safety and watch out for her and the bairn. At the end of the year, we’ll see if she still requires my protection.”
His clan leader studied him a second before finally replying, “How often did the Guardians of old take their charges as mates?”
“Not often. Leaders weren’t as concerned about true mates and happiness as they were survival in those days. Alliances were often more important than love.”
“Aye, but this is the 21st century, Fergus. You say your dragon wants the lass, yet you want to protect her. The most important question is if you can protect her from yourself?”
His dragon growled. We would never hurt her.
Clenching his fingers, Fergus took a step toward Finn’s desk. “If I feel my dragon seizing control, I will tell you. In that instance, I’m sure Faye and my mum would look after her. Faye may no longer be a Protector, but she still has all of the training.”
“I’m sure this sounds fantastic inside your head, but what if the lass rejects you? She’s been hurt and may not open up for quite some time. Hell, for all we know, she might still love the father of her child. Even if fate decrees you as true mates, there is the possibility Gina will fight it and deny you.”
Only through sheer force of will did Fergus keep his dragon in check at the mention of Gina loving the bastard who hurt her. “Did you let that stop you with Arabella?”