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    A Very Dragon Christmas: Dragon Guard Series, #51
    A Very Dragon Christmas: Dragon Guard Series, #51
    A Very Dragon Christmas: Dragon Guard Series, #51
    Ebook216 pages3 hoursDragon Guard Series

    A Very Dragon Christmas: Dragon Guard Series, #51

    By Julia Mills

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    About this ebook

    The Desert holds many secrets, but are there Christmas miracles, too?

    This ain't your momma's fairy tale.

    When the clock strikes midnight on Christmas Eve, Abbie will lose more than her glass slipper if she hasn't found her Mate.

    Abbie's prayin' for a very Dragon Christmas, all she needs is Cass.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherJulia Mills
    Release dateDec 19, 2024
    ISBN9798230949732
    A Very Dragon Christmas: Dragon Guard Series, #51
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      Book preview

      A Very Dragon Christmas - Julia Mills

      BONUS CHRISTMAS CHAPTER

      GOLDEN FIRE CLAN

      Hey y’all! I published this Bonus Chapter in the Holidays With The Dragons Box Set.

      However, A Very Dragon Christmas, Cass and Abbie’s Story, the one you are about to read, starts right after this bonus chapter.

      Sooooooo…

      I figured I had better include it here for all those who did not read the box set.

      If you already have, no worries!

      Just flip to Chapter One and get started with

      A Very Dragon Christmas!

      I just cannot wait to hear what you think of Cass and Abbie’s story!

      Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!

      And a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!

      XOXO, Julia, Liz, Em and all the furbabies

      The Holiday Season 2024

      Golden Fire Clan

      "P lease tell me that I have nothing to worry about. That because my boys are still asking for video games, new tablets, and remote-control cars for Christmas, they are years from going through their… their… Well, crap, I can’t even say the freakin’ word."

      Their first Shift? Kyndel finished Grace’s thought with the lilt of a question in her tone.

      Yeah, that. I mean… Gasping loudly, she hurried on, the regret in her voice scenting the room with a sharp, spicy aroma. Oh, shit! I am the worst friend ever! Sniffling, Kyndel could tell that her bestie was just barely holding it all together.

      She was also well aware that the highly accomplished lawyer had to say her peace–had to get it all out–before she could offer advice and comfort. So, she held her tongue, kept pitting fruit, and waited less than a single beat of her heart before Grace added, I’m so sorry. Look at me worrying about myself when you…

      After three whole seconds of silence, what seemed like a lifetime to Kyndel because she wanted so badly to comfort her friend, she slid her eyes to the left. She wasn’t surprised to find Grace staring at the cabinet while peeling the same strip off the same apple for what looked like the fourteenth time because the little black seeds were peeking through the flesh. At the rate she was going, there’d be no apple left at all. It was time to rescue the poor fruit–and her friend.

      Reaching over, Kyndel gently placed one hand on Grace’s, then used the other to pluck the abused apple from her fingers. Placing what was left of Johnny Appleseed’s favorite food with the others she’d peeled for pies, she put her arm around Grace’s shoulders and steered her to the closest chair. Once she was sure her bestie wouldn't slide onto the floor and end up in a fetal position, paralyzed with worry, she put the side of the index finger of her left hand under the illustrious lawyer's chin. Then she lifted it until they were looking into one another's eyes. The worry she saw in those brilliant blue peepers kicked all her protective instincts into overdrive and had her saying exactly what needed to be said to help her friend feel better.

      Alright, time to stop beating yourself up for things you cannot control. Yes, you are our very own Superwoman, but even she had to deal with that nasty kryptonite. Give yourself a break, my love. Take a deep breath, let it all go, then listen to old Auntie Kyndel.

      With a weak smile, Grace did exactly as she instructed. Once she’d taken a deep cleansing breath and let it out, Kyndel went on, First of all, you have never been nor will you ever be a bad friend. You are the best, and that’s all there is to it.

      She didn't miss a beat as she winked, gave a sharp nod, and powered on. Secondly, I know what you’re going through, and everything you feel is absolutely normal. Lastly, and most importantly, listen and listen well ‘cause you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you can trust what I’m sayin’.

      Stopping again, this time to give her bestie ‘the look’. The one where she opened her eyes wide, gave a single, pointed nod, and tilted her head to the side until the person she was looking at smiled. Crinkling her nose in the silliest way possible, waiting until Grace gave her a weak grin, Kyndel went right back to what she had been saying. Hell, you know almost as well as I do that watching Jay Shift for the first time was the most shocking thing I’d seen in… in… Shrugging and exhaling sharply, she powered on. Well, in about eleven years. She added a chuckle with the hopes of continuing to lighten the mood. Seeing Rayne and the others become full-sized Winged Warriors was nothing compared to watching my son become a Berserker Dragon. I didn't even know he could do that until he was at least a hundred years old. Talk about being kicked in the ass by Aunt Nettie's mule. It was nuckin' futs.

      Yeah, Grace breathed, slowly nodding with her eyes so wide that she resembled a deer caught in headlights. 

      Yeah, Kyndel emphatically agreed, hoping to put some life back into the person she’d known the longest in the world. "So, you know that I understand exactly what you’re going through, and to be honest, I’m glad I experienced it first."

      You are?

      Hell, yeah, I am, Kyndel adamantly confirmed. I only have one son. You’ve got a matched set. At least, you got to see a sneak preview of what’s comin’ down the pike. At least you’ve seen the Shift part, no matter what form the twins take. So, it won’t be a complete shock. And let’s not forget what Carrick, the Elders, and Siobhan said…

      Oh, yeah, I remember, Grace agreed with silent laughter, her shoulders slightly bouncing up and down. Right after Jay Shifted back to... Well, he Shifted back to my fantastic godson, Jay. Closing her eyes for a second, she shook her head, grinned, and looked back at Kyndel. Sorry, it's just still so hard to fathom."

      Girl, who you tellin’?

      For real! She snickered, then continued. Now, what was I sayin’? Oh, yeah, Carrick and the whole gang said that when one of my boys Shifts for the first time, the other will follow within minutes. Another sigh, this one with more gusto and a bit of a hiccup of a giggle at the end, and she went on, Then, after we got home and the boys were asleep, Aidan said that’s how it was with him and Aaron.

      And let me guess, Big A… (The nickname Aaron, the oldest of the O'Brien twins, was given at a young age and was still called hundreds of years later.) …agreed when you asked him?

      I didn’t even have to ask, Grace shrugged. He and Charlie came over the next day under the guise of picking up a book I said they could borrow, and Aaron slid it right into the conversation.

      He’s good like that, Kyndel laughed.

      You know it. Gotta love my brother-in-law.

      Yeah, we do, even when he puts both feet in his mouth.

      True, Grace nodded. I did get a good laugh when Charlie swatted his arm. I do so love her.

      Me too, the feisty redhead agreed. "And now, you listen to old Kyndel here, and listen good as I drop some Southern wisdom straight from Granny on ya’. Always, always, always be prepared for anything."

      Girl, you’ve been telling me that since the day I realized why you were hanging out with that big, hunky hubby of yours and then found out that Dragons are real and men can turn into them.

      See there? I do get it right every once in a while.

      More like all the damn time.

      Shh. She raised her index finger to her lips and gave Grace her best silly grin. Don’t tell those boys of mine. I like to keep Rayne and Jay guessin’. They think they can get stuff over on me, and it's fun when I get to catch 'em at it.

      Loving that her friend was finally truly relaxing, Kyndel had one more thing to add. "Like I was sayin’, and you know this all too well because you've said it to me more than once, always be prepared for anything, but do not let the expectations, or in some cases–the fear and dread–weigh you down. If we've learned anything, it's that shit is gonna happen, and there’s nothing we can do to change that fact, but we can duck and weave better than the average Dragon’s Mate. The Heavens know that we’re experts at gettin’ outta the way."

      Finally smiling with the confidence Kyndel had come to expect, Grace readily agreed, I know you’re right. Reaching up as her bestie moved her hand, the lawyer tucked a few errant strands of ebony hair that had fallen out of her ponytail behind her ear and sighed as if the weight of the world had suddenly returned to her shoulders. It’s just that…

      It's just now that you know it can happen early, that you've seen it with your own eyes, you're wondering if Ash and Ang are ready. You know you’re not ready, but it’s not you who will have to go through it all, and there is nothing on this big blue and green ball we call home that we won’t do to keep our boys safe–the big ones and the young ones.

      Yeah, that about sums it up.

      Well, like I told you that day, and pretty much every day since then, you're gonna feel everything they feel, and you’re gonna be so glad that you did. Yes, it is special and wonderful to share it with your Mate, but nothing compares to sharing it with your child. I promise you're gonna be just fine. You are Grace mutherhumpin’-Kensington-O'Brien, dammit. You got this and don't need a T-shirt or a bag of chips.

      With her smile gaining strength, Grace wrinkled her nose. How do you always know exactly the right thing to say?

      Oh, girl, come on now, Kyndle laughed out loud. You know I have the gift of gab and learned to baffle ‘em with bullshit when I can’t dazzle ‘em with brilliance from the best teacher in the whole world, my Granny.

      Thank God for Granny Masterson.

      You can say that again. Pretty much all I know about gettin’ from one minute to the next and puttin’ one foot in front of the other when I feel like givin’ up, I learned from that woman, and I damn sure have applied it more times than I can remember in the last week. However… She stopped, propped her hands on her hips, and started back up right where she'd left off. …what I had to figure out on my own was that those boys of ours are way more ready for their Destiny than we are. Chuckling as she turned to make a fresh pot of coffee because she was sure they both needed it, she added, Nothin’s changed in that department since the day they were born.

      No shit, Grace snorted, letting Kyndel know her dearest friend was doing good. Just like when all three of them walked before they were six months old, and Siobhan just laughed, telling us that it was only the beginning of raising a child blessed by the Universe.

      Or when we caught the three of them climbing that huge tree that damn near reaches the clouds a month before Jay’s fourth birthday, and Zachary laughed and said we were lucky it was a tree and not a mountain.

      Or when they were building a treehouse in that same damn big oak less than a year later.

      Without the help of any of us, Rayne and Aidan laughed as they walked into the kitchen.

      I still can’t figure out how they reached the tools in the shed, the Commander chuckled.

      Or how they knew the right nails to get and where to find them in my toolbox, Grace’s Mate snorted.

      Meeting her hubby halfway, Kyndel pushed up on her toes, let her fingers tangle in the brown, silken curls curling at the collar of his soft, gray T-shirt, and looked into his lavender eyes. Leaning into his wonderfully muscular chest, she kissed the man made for her by the Universe with everything she had.

      He was the miracle that continued to amaze her every day. And the fact that her heart did that silly little pitter-pat every time she laid eyes on him was one of the best things she’d ever experienced.

      Eleven years had only made what she felt for her Mate stronger–and there was no doubt he returned those feelings in every single way. He truly was her other half. Rayne completed her in ways she hadn’t known she needed until she met him on that fateful night. Whatever she’d done right in a past life, she thanked God, the Heavens, and anybody else she could think of every single day for bringing her Dragon into her life.

      I love you, too, Mo ghrá. His whispered affection floated through her mind.

      It let her know that their hearts and souls were blessedly connected for the rest of forever. It made her heart skip a beat and goosebumps jump to attention all over her body. The plethora of love and devotion they shared had her deepen their kiss until she forgot where they were and that they most definitely were not alone.

      Of course, at that exact moment, the ‘peanut gallery’–her nickname for Jay, Ash, and Ang— also decided to enter the kitchen and provide unneeded and unwanted commentary.

      Oh, gross! Groaning and gagging as only a preteen can do, Jay dragged the last word out as long as he could

      Not to be outdone, Ashton, aka Ash, the oldest of Grace and Aidan’s twins by four minutes, griped, Could y’all not do that in the kitchen? Any of y’all? You do know it’s where we eat, right? Dadgummit, this is my happy place, and y’all are throwin’ around cooties like they’re confetti.

      But it was Angus, also known as Ang, who had them all laughing when he chimed in with, "All this kissy face stuff almost, and yes, that is just almost, makes me lose my appetite. It's bad enough that Mom and Dad are always making lovey-dovey eyes at each other, but come on, Aunt Kyndel and Uncle Rayne. Y’all are killin’ me here. I thought you had my back."

      Dude, just wait till you find the woman the Universe made for you, Rayne teased, his attempt at being a surfer almost as funny as what he was saying. She’s gonna have you all tied up in your fruit of the looms. You’re not gonna know what hit you, but you’re gonna love every minute of it, and your pops and I are gonna have the time of our lives makin’ fun of you.

      Awww, gross, Dad!

      You boys are killing me, Kyndel hummed, just barely containing her laughter.

      Making a show of pulling away from her Mate–complete with what looked like a dip to rival anything Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers ever did, she let the back of her hand float dramatically onto her forehead. Then, in the best Scarlett O’Hara impersonation she could muster, she poured even more Southern in her accent than was already there and teased, Come on, boys, this is what real love looks like. Soak it up.

      As the kitchen erupted in laughter, she stood up straight and slowly turned, sure to stay close to her hubby. Not only did she love being near him and knew it embarrassed her son in all the best ways, but Rayne’s touch caused the best tingles in the whole wide world.

      Loving that her Mate kept his hands around her waist, she tried to look stern but knew she’d failed when the laughter from all three boys grew with such wild abandon that there were happy tears rolling down their cheeks. Giving them a wink when they’d almost calmed to their

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