New Blood

Prologue

Tyson Emery was in his office, reviewing one of the last business deals he would make before turning Emery Technologies and the Obsidian Dragon Clan over to his son, Logan, and middle daughter, Everly. It had been a difficult decision for him to step away. He knew Logan and Every would take excellent care of the clan and the company, but he still worried about them.

Logan was intelligent and well-liked. He was good at business, and Tyson had no doubts that as Logan gained experience, he would be excellent. Logan led the last community gathering, which went off without a hitch. Several residents and guests had mentioned how much fun they had at the gathering. That made Tyson’s heart soar. The one thing that worried Tyson was Logan’s family. Everyone loved his mate Gabby; she was the perfect mix of loving and powerful. She would be giving birth to their third child and taking care of their five-year-old twins, a girl named Addison and a boy named Dylan, at the same time, as Logan would be taking over. Tyson worried that the stress might make things more difficult for them, but that was for them to decide.

Thinking of Everly taking her place in the clan and Emery Tech made Tyson smile. If Logan was intelligent, Everly was brilliant. She was a scientist who enjoyed learning and teaching. She was also an artist at heart, much like her mother, Olivia, and sister, Amelia. The difference was that Everly chose to use her art as a hobby, not her career. Everly was far more analytical in her thinking than her brother and less likely to make a rash or spur-of-the-moment decision. She always wanted to stew and think about the possible outcomes for everything. Everly’s family was well settled with only her mate Ashton and their five-year-old daughter Darcy. Everly could also calm her brother if needed, which happened occasionally.

Something in the pit of Tyson’s stomach was gnawing at him. He was worried about the transition of power. He knew his children were capable and far powerful than most knew, but as a father, turning over control to them made him feel as if he were passing a burden to them. Tyson took it as an honor when the Obsidian Clan was passed to him. He never saw the burden. He needed to know if what he felt was normal, so he opened a mind link with the only person he knew to ask.

“Dad? Are you busy or can you talk for a minute?” Tyson asked his father, Joe, through the link.

Joe chuckled back, “I can talk. I’m busy watching your mother try to get two eight-year-olds to pick out formal attire for the coronation, ball, and all that stuff. That isn’t for a few months, but your mother wants to finish it early if possible. What’s going on? You sound a little worried about something.”

“I am. I’m worried that Logan and Everly will feel like taking over for me is a burden and hate it,” Tyson said, sighing aloud and through the link.

“Did you ever feel like it was a burden when you took over for me?” Joe inquired.

“Not for a second. I considered it an honor that you had that much faith in me.”

“The kids talk to me when things are bothering them. Something about wisdom coming with my advanced age,” Joe snorted. “Logan and Everly have said they are nervous. They don’t want to make a mistake or let anyone down. They do not see this as a burden. They look at it as their responsibility and job, the same as you did. They love Obsidian and will take good care of it. They might even ask your opinion from time to time. Try not to worry so much. I did the same thing as you when you took over for me. All I did was waste a lot of time and wear a hole in one of your mother’s favorite rugs with all my pacing.”

“You have no idea how much I was hoping you would say something like that,” Tyson chuckled as his mate Olivia walked in with their youngest, five-year-old Miranda, in tow. She smiled warmly at him while waiting for him to finish his mindlink. “Sorry to cut things short, Dad. Livie has brought Miranda to visit.”

“Give them both hugs and kisses from me and your mom. I have to go anyway. Jack has made a break for it, and Nora is getting very cranky. Talk later, son,” Joe said as he broke the link.

Tyson was chuckling at his father’s predicament. His parents had fallen in love with the twins the moment they laid eyes on them and adopted them without question. Now, his parents, dragons who should have been enjoying retirement, and their grandchildren, were raising twin rogue werewolf pups. The elder dragons were also loving every minute of it.

“Hello, my loves,” Tyson said as he held out his arms to scoop up his daughter and place her on his lap. “To what do I owe the honor of this visit?”

“You are about to be visited by all of your children and grandchildren,” Olivia giggled. “You have been stressing out about transferring everything to the kids. We thought we would steal you away from work for a few hours so you could enjoy some time with the immediate family. The food is at the house waiting for us to pick up after we decide where to go. Lucy has made us so much food that we will need a truck to haul it.”

“Or a dragon with a strong back,” Tyson grinned. “Where do you want to have this picnic?”

“Can we go to the spring?” Miranda asked as she snuggled against her father’s chest.

“I think that sounds like a lovely idea. I’m sure all the kids and grandkids could use some time in nature to relax and recharge,” Olivia said. “To be honest, I could use it too. I love you, Ty, but you are getting increasingly anxious about this transfer as it gets closer. I can feel it through the mate bond, and I’m sure Miranda can feel it through her bond to you as her father. I want to help. Tell me what I can do to make it better.”

“Come and sit, my love,” Tyson said as he motioned for her to join him in his desk chair. He waited for Olivia to sit on his other leg while he continued to hold their daughter. He pulled Olivia close and said, “There is nothing you can do, my little wolf. It is the worries of a father who is passing everything down to his children and wondering if they truly want it.”

Olivia laughed as she kissed him. “My love, you should know our children well enough to know that if they did not want to take over Obsidian or Emery Technologies, they would have told you and done it very loudly and clearly.”

“That’s true,” Tyson laughed. “Our children have always let us know what they were thinking.”

“Are we interrupting something?” Amelia asked as she walked in with her mate, Will, and her three children, Isla, Willa, and Brooke.

“Not at all. Your father is still stressing out about Logan and Everly taking over. That is part of why we are taking a family day. Remember?” Olivia smiled as Amelia came over to hug and kiss her father.

Amelia assured her father, “I might joke about my little brother and sister taking over and what a disaster it will be, but I trust them both with my life. Either one of them would be good at the job, but the two of them working together will be phenomenal. You don’t need to worry about that. What you need to worry about is Logan losing his mind when Gabby goes into labor.”

“I second that,” Gabby giggled as she walked in with Logan and their twins.

“Me too,” Everly called out from the hallway. As she entered the office with Ashton and Darcy, she grinned at her brother and said, “I’m not sure what I’m agreeing with, but I have the feeling it involves something Logan did and I need to be on Gabby’s side.”

Gabby gave Everly a high-five and giggled as their children all dashed toward their grandparents for hugs, kisses, and snuggles. Gabby was significantly pregnant and was rubbing her bulging belly when Logan put his arm around her and kissed her temple.

“Are you sure you are up for a walk like this?” Logan asked her. “We don’t know where we are even going. What if it’s too much for you and the baby?”

“We will be fine unless you want me to climb a mountain or something. Where are we going for this family outing?” Gabby asked.

“The spring pool in the woods, if everyone is up for that,” Tyson grinned. “Gabby, are you positive you can walk there? If not, we can go somewhere else.”

“I will be fine. It will do me good. I might have to take my shoes off and walk barefoot to connect to the earth better,” Gabby grinned. “And if I get too tired to walk, Logan can carry me.”

“I would in a heartbeat,” Logan said, kissing her tenderly.

“Ewwwe! Gross!” Everly teased. “Stop trying to ruin our appetites with all the mooshy stuff.”

Logan stuck his tongue out at Everly. That made Tyson sigh and shake his head. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to remember what his father had said about Everly and Logan taking over. This moment was not helping to ease his nerves.

Everly asked, “Dad, are you alright? What’s wrong?”

“I’m worried that you and Logan might not be ready to take over for me,” Tyson admitted. “Maybe we need to hold off on this for a while longer. That way, you two can have more time to learn and be ready.”

“Dad, I know that Evvs and I tease each other and act childish sometimes,” Logan said as he was cut off by his sister, Amelia.

“Most of the time,” Amelia corrected.

“OK. Most of the time,” Logan admitted. “But Dad, you know we can do this. We act like this when we are together and with family. You have seen us when business is involved. When needed, we act like the highly educated, well-trained, and skilled adults we are. Acting like kids helps us relax and keep our stress at bay. The day we don’t do that is when you need to worry about us.”

“That, and it’s how we show love to each other. Didn’t you ever notice that if Logan and I are mad at each other, we ignore each other?” Everly said, smiling at her brother. “It might be a little dysfunctional, but it works for us.”

“Oh, we have all noticed that. The whole of Obsidain is too quiet when you are,” Amelia teased her siblings. “That is why everyone was so happy that little Miss Miranda came along. It took a couple of tries, but we might have the perfect Emery child for everyone to dote on.”

Logan cleared his throat and said, “I don’t know about that one, sis. I think mine might be the perfect Emery kids.”

“I meant the perfect original Emery kids,” Amelia said, rolling her eyes. “If you want to talk perfect Emery kids, have a look at my girls. They are perfection.”

“Except for that time when your three-year-old, fanged out and attacked me because her fairy magic made her have a wicked blood lust out of nowhere,” Everly pointed out. “That wasn’t her fault, but it did happen.”

“I don’t know, Evvs. I think they get bonus points for telling the fey dragons to steal goodies for them from Lucy’s kitchen,” Logan grinned.

“Why don’t we go for our walk and continue this outside?” Olivia interrupted as she stood and lifted Miranda off her father’s lap. “That way the kids can run ahead while we talk.”

“Good idea,” Tyson said as he stood. “Let’s go on our walk. We haven’t even started, and I’m starving.”

“Me too, Dad,” Logan said as he guided Gabby to the door, their twins darting into the hallway ahead of them. “Lucy made plenty of food. We can snack as we walk.”

Olivia laughed, taking Tyson’s hand and walking with him as they followed their family from the room. She softly said, “You know, you don’t need to worry. Logan is just like you, and Everly got the best parts of both of us. They will do well and be good for Obsidian.”

“You’re right as always, my little wolf,” Tyson said, smiling at her. “And we will find out how good in a few months.”

-

Constantine Booker stared out his window toward the south in his secluded mansion in the Northwest Territories of Canada. That was the direction of what should have been his, and soon he would reclaim it and his family’s honor. He had been told stories of his family having once been the rulers of a dragon clan. A dispute between brothers had ended that, and his family split from his relatives. In a matter of months, the transfer of power would take place, and he would be there to step in and take control.

A knock on his door pulled him away from his thoughts. He scowled at the interruption. Constantine had too many things to plan to the most minute detail to be bothered by interruptions.

“Come!” Constantine yelled as he turned back toward the window.

A man entered and said, “Sir, I have acquired an invitation, or at least what the invitations will look like. That will allow us to forge one for you.”

“Thank you, Spencer. How did you manage that?” Constantine asked.

Constantine took the stationery from the hand of his second in command. The corners of his mouth ticked up into a smirk as he studied the invitation in his hands. He had expected something gaudy and obnoxious. What he had been given was simple and understated. As much as he hated to admit it, it was something that he would consider using.

Spencer replied, “It was easier than I thought it would be. All I had to do was call the print shop in the clan and ask if they had any invitation samples. The owner was happy to send a few, and this one was in it. He said it was a popular style that the clan leader often used. He then said he is using it for the upcoming coronation.”

“Splendid,” Constantine grinned as he returned the paper to Spencer. “You know what the plan is. Get to work. Everything must be ready and in place for me to attend the ball, where the transition of power will be formally announced. That is the night I will reclaim my birthright.”

Without waiting for a reply from Spencer, Constantine turned back to stare out the window. He had heard rumors that the current Dragon Lord of his family’s clan was turning it over to two of his children, a son and daughter. That was unthinkable. The clan should always go to the oldest son. Constantine was the oldest son in his family, and knowing the history of the clan, it was well within his rights to reclaim the Obsidian Dragon Clan for himself.