Children of the Moon 04 - Dragon's Moon

move.”
    “All right, Lais.”
    Questioning his own sanity, he undressed and then stepped over her to join her in the furs.
    Her eyes were heavy lidded, though evidence of her continued desire was a delicious fragrance to his eagle’s senses. He pulled furs over them before taking her hand in his under the covering. “We will sleep and then I will work on not compromising you.”
    “You promise?”
    “Aye.”
    “Good,” she said sleepily. “An honorable Chrechte keeps his promises.”
    He smiled at her repeating his own thoughts and allowed himself to drift into sleep as well.
    C iara woke in the arms of a dragon.
    The last thing she remembered was Eirik’s hands on her face, his eyes glowing with amber light as they looked into hers…a kiss so soft it could have been a butterfly’s wings, and then a sense of peace stealing over her in soft waves. After that…nothing.
    No disturbing dreams, no sense of dread, no fear.
    Feeling better than she had in months and more alert than she had in weeks, she blinked in the darkness. She experienced no worry though, to be in the dark with a dragon, and she wondered what magic Eirik had worked on her mind.
    Her head was pillowed on one of his great arms, his other curved protectively over her body. Dangerous claws rested without threat under one of her hands. There was a soft fur beneath her, protecting her from the hard ground and another over her, cocooning her with the dragon’s warmth.
    She could smell both Niall and Guaire near, but could not make out their shapes in the darkness.
    Eirik’s scent surrounded her, making her wolf giddy. And for just a moment, Ciara would let herself enjoy the sensation of peace and safety she found in the dragon’s presence.
    A rustle of movement from behind her dragon alerted her to where Niall and Guaire were. And that they too were awake.
    “Where are we?” she asked into the darkness. “Why are we here?”
    “You’re awake.” Niall’s voice was laced with satisfaction.
    She could smell the sweet spice of relief in the air as well, though whether it came from him or Guaire, she could not tell.
    Flint striking stone sounded and then a torch burned, bringing light into the cavern. The walls were smooth but for some images carved into them. She would have to get closer with the torch to make out what they were though.
    Ciara scooted into a sitting position but still could not see over Eirik’s large dragon form.
    “You slept an entire day and a night,” Guaire said, coming around the dragon’s head, Niall beside him.
    The big warrior tilted his head as if listening for something and then said, “By my reckoning, it is just past dawn.”
    “I…thank you.”
    “Dinna thank me. It was your dragon there that kept you sleeping so peacefully. He shifted once, to take care of a bodily need, and you started tossing and turning within seconds. He hasn’t moved from your side since.” The grudging approval in Niall’s voice made her smile.
    He smiled back, the scar on his cheek pulling his face oddly, but she didn’t mind. Niall was as good a man as her adopted father.
    And then, without warning, the dragon shrank around her and with a flash of crimson light she was being cuddled by a man. A very naked man.
    Guaire’s eyes widened in shock that quickly changed to appreciation as he took in Eirik’s naked form. “Nice.”
    Niall growled, his eyes glittering in a way that indicated his wolf was far too close to the surface. Ciara felt her own wolf scratching to get out and without even realizing what she was doing, she’d covered Eirik with the fur she’d slept under.
    Guaire grinned at both of them. “Is anyone hungry to break their fast?”
    Ciara’s stomach rumbled and she realized in surprise that she was indeed hungry.
    Eirik still had one arm around her, but he used his other hand to tilt her face up so she was looking at him. “You will eat.”
    “Yes.” Did he think she didn’t want to eat? He could not be more wrong.
    It was not her fault that her stomach was in such tight knots lately that she could not bear to put food in it.
    “You are a troublemaker,” she heard Niall tell Guaire.
    She pulled her head from Eirik’s grasp and turned tosee the other men, only to bite her lip so she didn’t giggle. But Niall had pulled Guaire into a heated kiss and Ciara couldn’t help thinking that had probably been the seneschal’s plan all along. The human knew how to keep his Chrechte warrior dancing to the