Chapter 5

Three am, Dublin time, Thursday morning,

Ryodan quietly left his large bed. He did not want to wake Moira, the beautiful red head who lay sleeping beside him. He had called her almost as soon as he walked through his door, and she had been more than eager to come. It had been weeks since they were together like this. It had taken her less than thirty minutes to drive to his mansion on a hill outside the city limits. She was barely through the door when he picked her up and carried her down two flights of stairs to his subteranean bedchamber; she undressed and dropped articles of clothing along the way. His bedroom was handsomely decorated as was his whole house above ground, but it was below ground that Ryodan knew he was safe. If his lovers thought that sleeping in a bedroom underground was odd; they kept that opinion to themselves.

Moira snored softly. She was thoroughly exhausted from the prodigious round of sex they had participated in earlier. Their copulation was wild and rough; for more than four hours he had pounded himself fiercely into her body. It should have left him sated and relaxed, but it didn't. He was as hard and tense now as he was when he began. Their sex had not eased the deep feelings of lust and some other undefinable, more primitive desire he felt for the little blonde he had met earlier. No, the sex had not helped matters at all, not even a little. If anything, he wanted Leni Hammond even more than before.

Moira had moaned and cried out in her ecstasy many times as he grunted and groaned over her. He had felt the strength of her multiple orgasms as she came over and over again. He enjoyed pleasuring human women almost as much as he enjoyed being pleasured himself. He had pushed Moira and himself beyond what they both thought possible. Their sex had been raw, intense and almost violent at times; it was the best sex they had in years. It was good, but Ryodan knew that it was not good enough. As good as Moira was in bed, for some strange reason, he wanted something more.

Moira had gloried in the startling renewed strength of Ryodan's ardor and lust for her this morning. She thought it was because because they hadn't been together like this in almost three weeks. She knew for certain that her lover had bedded several other women during that time. Ryodan always had many women while she was expected to keep herself only for him. It was unfair, she knew, but she loved him, so she accepted his demands.

Moira was jealous of the other women he spent time with; so much so she fantasized about killing any woman who touched him. She had been with Ryodan almost five years now and considered him her property; the other women knew that, but they didn't care, so she did something about it. During the last five years, she had gotten many of Ryodan's other women fired from their jobs and caused all sorts of trouble for them. If Ryodan knew or cared, he never showed it. She knew that he preferred her above all the others. She had been with him the longest, and he always came back to her.

This morning she had presumed that he missed her and her unique lovemaking skills during the past three weeks. That was the longest time, they had been apart in the years that she knew him. At first, she was afraid that Ryodan was getting tired of her, but this morning, his lovemaking calmed her fears. This morning, she presumed that he loved her, at least a little bit. She teased him about it and told him so.

Ryodan was irritated by her presumption, but he told her gently, "You know I care about you more than any other woman I know, Moira, but I don't love you. I always told you not to expect that from me; I am not capable of that kind of love."

Moira turned her back to him. He could hear her crying softly until she fell asleep. Ryodan knew he had been unneedlessly cruel by giving her hope for something more this morning. It was time to end it with Moira, permanently.

Ryodan did not love Moira, nor had he truly missed her; he had not thought much about her at all during the last few weeks. He had been busy with the nightclub and the task that their leader, Zigor, had sent him and the others to do, and he wasn't looking forward to detailing their recent failure to Jericho Barrons. He also used other available women when he needed to satisfy his lust, just as he always did. He called Moira this morning only because she was convenient.

He fully understood his strong need to couple with a woman this morning was simply an attempt to relieve the unusually strong sexual frustration that built up all during his flight home. To be honest with himself, he knew it was to forget the face of Leni Hammond, the small pretty blonde who had rejected him so thoroughly yesterday on that flight.

She had angered him, but she had also stirred someting so deep within him, he did not understand what it was, or why. It was like he was on fire, and he could not put the flames out. It was a strange sensation. It burned him from within so strongly that he felt like he was being consumed in a soul searing conflagration. He had not wanted a woman that much since Zayida; he felt out of control.

When the flight from London to Dublin landed, she was ahead of him and his companions as she collected her luggage and headed through customs. He listened as she laughed lightly and chatted comfortably with other passengers. She sounded tired, but happy and irrepressible. He was strangely jealous of the people she talked to so easily. Afterward as they headed down the long terminal to the passenger pick up area and a waiting limo, the little blonde was about twenty feet ahead of him still.

"Munchins!" a young male voice yelled.

Ryodan watched in amazement as Leni gave a happy shriek, dropped her luggage, her computer and her handbag in the middle of the floor and ran toward a dark haired youth of about nineteen or twenty. The boy was wearing jeans, a Trinity College sweatshirt and a leather jacket. He was at least 6'2" broad shouldered, about 175 pounds and exceptionally handsome. Ryodan knew the boy would be as big as a Zaghar warrior once he matured.

His wavy, chocolate brown hair with honey gold streaks fell to the nape of his neck and was pushed carelessly back over his well shaped ears. Even Ryodan recognized the boy had beautiful eyes, that were an unusual color of copper, surrounded with long, dark lashes. His eyes were lit with happiness as he watched the small blonde hurtling toward him.

He opened his arms and she jumped. He caught her with one arm below her bottom and one arm around her back as she wound her small legs around his waist. Instinctively, Sean spun her her around laughing as he did so; Leni covered his faces with a big wet kiss.

Ryodan saw the look of pure happiness on her face and something inside of him snapped; he was angry and even more jealous than before. His eyes saw red. His mind reverted to a more primitive animal state. He could not reason; he only knew that another male was touching his female, and she accepted it. Deep in his animal mind, he asked,

Does she seek to mate with this male she touches? She cannot, she is mine!

He could not, would not, allow that. A low menacing snarl issued from Ryodan's throat. Mine! the snarl warned again. The beast in him started to move toward the young human male.

It was Lor who sensed the transformation first. Electricity poured off Ryodan. His muscles tensed. The air rippled around him. Heat radiated like a blow torch from his big body.

Shocked beyond words at the unexpected, but familiar, change coming over his friend, Lor issued a low guttural warning to Angus. Both large men moved in a whirl of motion too fast for the human eye to see. With a wave of his hands and a few words uttered low in his throat, Lor cast a Draghar cloaking spell around Ryodan and Angus. The cloaking spell made the two Draghar males inside invisible to the parade of human travelers who moved around them like water flowing around a sandbar in the middle of a river.

Inside the cloak, Angus cast his own magic, a spell that held Ryodan firmly rooted to the floor of the airport terminal; he could not move. The air around Ryodan shimmered and for a moment, he transformed into his natural beast form and bellowed a mighty roar. Lor and Angus knew that sound; both of them knew not to touch Ryodan or say anything to him at this time, or the big, powerful Zaghar male would instinctively interpret that as a challenge. The results would be a bloody mess; someone would get hurt. The powerful Draghar male had just issued a belligerent warning to another male. "Get away from my female, or die!"

Without the cloaking spell, to the human eye, Ryodan would have looked like a huge, massively muscled beast with smooth gray skin. The beast was vaguely humanoid in form, with a large prehistoric face, a prominent bony crest on its forehead and two bony ridges that ran down the sides of its head. The beast had wild, feral yellow eyes and long, deadly looking fangs. Those fangs were gnashing in fury now.

Hanks of long, dank, black hair surrounded its face. Both hands and feet were webbed with long, sharp talons. Although usually on all fours, when it stood stood on its hind legs, the beast stood well over nine feet tall and weigh several tons. It was massive and powerful. Three sets of horns curved backwards starting at the ears and down a thick muscled neck. To anyone who could have seen the beast, they would have known instantly that it was not of this earth. It was in this form that all Zaghar spent a small part of their time each month to rejuvenate and feed.

Ryodan roared again and tried to charge Sean, but Angus' spell continued to hold him fast. The cloaking spell disbursed the sound of his bellowing. The travelers in the terminal, including Leni and Sean, started fearfully when they heard what sounded like a large animal roaring nearby. A few people started to scream.

After a few seconds, Ryodan shimmered again and transformed back to his human form. Lor and Angus instantly released their spells. Now, they seemed just like three more startled humans trying to determine where the animal roars came from. None of them looked more startled than Ryodan, though. The primal urge that came over him was the first time he had ever experienced it on this planet. Although common on Draghar, their home planet, they only knew of one of their kind who had ever experienced it on Earth. Tegan had once transformed to protect his human mate, Rhianna, and that was over three thousand years ago.

The crowd started to mill around, and a few minutes later an announcement came over the sound system. "Everything is fine, folks. Just a few anxious animals from Cirque de Soleil."

One of the passengers pointed out the terminal window to a large transporet plane that was unloading circus animals from its hold just a few hundred yards away. Many people rushed over to the window to ooh and aah as the animals came off the plane.

While everyone's attention was turned to the animals outside, a ginger haired, small, wiry male walked over to Leni's luggage and handbag to take advantage of the distraction. He crouched down and started to pick up the handbag. In a swift move, Ryodan shoved the man away. "Move," he growled. The would be petty crook looked up at the tall, dark man, blinked a couple of times and walked away.

Lor and Angus walked over to Ryodan as he stood sentry over Leni's stuff. "Are you crazy? What was that? Do you want to expose us all?" both men furiously questioned Ryodan in their own language. They both knew what had happened; they just couldn't believe it. They kept looking back and forth between Ryodan and the blonde, Leni Hammond for an explanation. Neither Draghar warrior could see the attraction that Ryodan so clearly felt for the small woman. Leni Hammond was quite an ordinary human to both of them.

Ryodan was shaken, he did not understand what had happened either. He stood silently; he could not answer his friends. He could not give word to the thoughts that roiled in his brain. His reaction had been primitive, instinctive from somewhere deep in his limpic brain. For the first time since he had been on this planet, he could not control his transformation, and that scared him beyond measure.

He was ready to rip young Sean McDonald to pieces just for touching Leni, but Leni was not his mate; no human woman, except for Zayida, warranted that kind of response. Ryodan had never transformed to protect Zayida. He had fought for her in his human form several times. He had even stopped her from being raped by three invading warriors once; he killed all three of them easily with his sword, but he had never transformed. He wondered what that meant.

Up ahead of them, Sean had put Leni down. She was staring up at her young male cousin. "Look at you, Beanpole," she cried as she laughed up at him. "You've grown so tall since I saw you at Gran's funeral. You're so handsome, too. Why Sean McDonald, I bet you have to beat the girls off with a stick!"

For the first time, Leni realized how much Sean looked like their grandfather, Danal. He is going to be a very beautiful man too; he will be quite breathtaking.I hope it doesn't go to his head, she thought.

Sean blushed and grinned. He had been an awkward gangly teenager, and at nineteen he was still rather shy with girls. His growth spurt had come in the last four months as he added more than five inches and fifty pounds to his lean frame. His body was athletic and muscular; the girls liked to touch his muscles. His face had gone from that of a boy to that of a man. Girls din't pay much attention to him before, but they sure blushed prettily when he looked at them now.

In high school, he rarely dated; as a college freshman, the girls wouldn't leave him alone. That was okay with him, though. He was gaining more confidence everyday, and he loved the attention. At the beginning, he thought it was a problem, but it was one he was learning to live with now.

"Where is Bridget; I expected her to be here?" Leni asked.

"She's on a modeling job right now, but she'll be at the house after eight. She wants you to meet Tegan, her boyfriend, tonight," Sean said as he grabbed Leni's luggage and headed out the automatic door to the the limo waiting outside.

"Not tonight, I hope. I am so tired and jet lagged, I just might sleep for a week." Leni yaned as she followed him. Ryodan, Lor and Angus stepped out behind her waiting for their own limo. Sean grabbed Leni's suitcase and laptop and tossed them into the trunk.

"Ahem," a familiar voice said. Leni whirled around. That disgusting creep, Mr. Ryodan, from the plane was standing behind her.

"Munchins?" he said in a mocking voice. Leni almost growled at him. "Don't call me that!" Ryodan laughed.

"Whose the guy?" Sean innocently said as he came up beside her.

"This man?" she asked, nodding to Ryodan.

"Yeah! Is he bothering you, cousin" Sean said in his best protective voice. Ryodan snorted quietly.

"Why don't you know that this is Mr. God's Gift to Women, Sean? The answer is no, he's not bothering me."

"What?" Sean was puzzled. He had no clue what Leni was saying.

"You know. This is Mr. Look at me; I'm here, fantastic creature that I am. Fall on your knees, you mere human woman and adore me. I just might deign to brighten your dull existence with my gracious smile." Leni looked at Ryodan and lsmirked at him.

Ryodan just stared at her, "You know, I think you are crazy, little girl. What in the hell is wrong with you?" he said. She just laughed at him and got into the limo.

Sean's eyes widened; he looked suspiciously at Ryodan for a minute and then shrugged. He didn't know what Leni was talking about, but he knew she had a temper and could come up with the weirdest things. He loved Leni, but his cousin was definitely a little strange sometimes.

Ryodan stood with a haughty, slightly offended look on his rugged, handsome face and shrugged his shoulders as if to say, "What was that all about?". To Sean, he looked the picture of a wealthy, cultured man of the world who had absolutely no idea Leni was talking about, either.

"My cousin, Leni, she can be a little crazy sometimes but she's not usually this bad. I must apologize for her." the young man said, doing his manly duty. He walked around to the other side of the limo and got in; the limo pulled away.

"She sure has your number, Ry. Either that, or you sure pissed her off," Angus said as he and Lor stifled a laugh.

Ryodan paid no mind to his friends teasing remarks. He felt a strong thrill of excitement in his groin: Leni Hammond, was Bridget McDonald's cousin. He would see the little bitch again, and soon. He would make her want him, and then they would see just who had the last laugh. He couldn't wait.

That was yesterday, This morning, Ryodan sat staring into the fireplace. His mind drifted to Zayida, Leni, Tegan and Bridget. He began to think of the words to the ancient Druid binding vow. When exchanged by lovers, this marriage vow bound their souls together for eternity.

"If aught must be lost, 'till be my honor for yours,

If one must be forsaken, 'till be my soul for yours.

Should death come anon, 'twill be my life for yours.

I am Given."

Ryodan knew that Tegan had exchanged this vow with his dead wife, Rhianna, at their marriage ceremony long ago. Tegan would exchange the vow again with Bridget McDonald at their marriage ceremony in two beautiful words of the Druid binding vow haunted Ryodan now as it had each time he saw Tegan and Bridget together.

Long ago, Tegan and Rhianna had both claimed that they were lifemates; they were soulmates whose very soul was one half of the other. According to Tegan, Bridget was the latest reincarnation of Rhianna, and it was those words that brought them together again and again.

As part of her Druid religion, Rhianna believed that the soul was reincarnated many times. Ryodan and the other Draghar did not believe in reincarnation; they were immortal after all, and had no need to reincarnate. They did not believe in soulmates; in fact, they did not believe in the soul.

Tegan believed, and he knew Rhianna was mortal. He wanted to be with her always, so he exchanged the vows with her. Because of the vow, he believed that Rhianna had reincarnated twice before in the form of two other women. He met and married her again both times; both times she died in childbirth.

He told Ryodan and the other Zaghar that he knew the very moment that Rhianna was reborn; he felt the very moment, she drew her first breath again as a newborn baby. He claimed the air was clearer; the sky was bluer and the grass was greener. He claimed he felt an energy rise from the very earth and fill he had to do is wait; wait and find her. When he found her, for a moment, time stood still and only they existed. Their souls instinctively reached out for each other. They recognized each other immediately.

Tegan said that is exactly what happened the night he first saw Bridget McDonald entering Chester's with Jerry O'Connell. O'Connell, a big, wiry, auburn haired Irish male of twenty five and had been Bridget's boyfriend for three years. He as also one of Rocky O'Bannion's boys. O'Bannion was a well known mobster of considerable ill repute in Dublin. Bridget and Jerry had been fighting as they walked into Chester's with Tegan right behind them.

Bridget's parents tried to stop her from seeing O'Connell, but for the first time in her life, Bridget disregarded her parent's wishes. Jerry O'Connell was the most exciting man she ever met, she told Leni one summer when she visited Gran in New Jersey. Things went well until Bridget started modeling and began to make much more money than Jerry who worked as a bouncer in one of O'Bannion's bars.

During the last few months, he started hitting her. He always managed to hit her where it wouldn't show and threatened if she went to the Garda, the local police, he would hurt her family. Bridget had heard about Chester's; she heard the place had a bad reputation and didn't want to go there. Just before they walked through the double doors into the nightclub, Bridget tried to yank her arm away from Jerry and leave. He cursed and slapped her hard in the face with an open fist. Bridget stumbled backward into Tegan.

The moment their bodies touched; electricity sparked through both of their bodies and arced in a blaze of blue lightening from her hand to his. Their eyes met, and they both forgot about Jerry O'Connell for long moments as they stared at each other. Tegan said it was as if they knew each other; had always known each other. From someplace deep from within, Tegan growled out the word, "Mine," and reached for her. Without thinking, Bridget stepped into his arms.

O'Connell didn't forget. Angered by what was going on between his girlfriend and the huge, dark stranger, he raised a fist to hit Bridget again. The blow never connected; O'Connell's large fist was crushed in Tegan's larger one. The ancient Draghar slammed the young Irishman to the floor with one tremendous punch and stood over him daring him to rise. Jerry left, without even entering Chester's, with a broken arm, a bloody nose and a crushed hand. As he walked out the door, he turned and spat out a vow to kill Bridget. Two days later, Jerry O'Connell just disappeared off the face of the earth.

Bridget told Tegan later that night as they made love for the first time that she knew from the moment she saw him that he was "hers." She felt a strange and deep connection to him. Tegan explained to her that they were soulmates who had met once again. He told her of Rhianna and of the other times that they had been together. He explained the meaning of the binding vow they had exchanged so long ago.

When Bridget was young, her grandmother had often told her, and her cousin Leni, tales of fairies, leprechauns, mermaids and all sort of magic and magical folk. Catriona O"Gallagher was baptized Catholic, but she believed in the old Celtic legends. She told them, that like their mothers, they were both fairy princesses who would one day meet their lifemates. She promised each of them that they would find their true soulmate, special men who would love them forever, men they could not live without.

Being a modern young girl raised by wealthy and sophisticated parents, and who was given the best education their elite lifestyle could afford, Bridget enjoyed her grandmothers stories. But she never once believed any of them, at least not until the night she met Tegan. She couldn't wait to tell Leni everything.

As he sat in front of the fire, Leni Hammond's pretty face appeared in Ryodan's mind once more. It angered him to know that she could come unbidden into his thoughts. Ruthlessly, he forced her out of his thoughts and pictured his dark haired, lovely Zayida, his wife, his only love.

What if Tegan is right? What if he and Bridget are soulmates? What if Bridget McDonald is Rhianna? What if she has Rhianna's soul? Why did I refuse to exchange the binding vow with Zayida? I loved her so much. She wanted to do it, but I refused. What harm could it have done to humor her? Because of my arrogance, have I missed the chance to be her again?

Ryodan's heart ached. He renewed his determination to help Zigor, Jericho Barrons, to find the Sinsar Dubh and all four singing stones. Although he would help in the search, all the Draghar, except Tegan, would go through the ceremony. They would go back in time. They would change things.

"I will bring you back to life, Zayida. We will be together again, my beloved wife; you will see. You will have my son, and we will exchange the binding vows this time. Our souls will never be parted again." he whispered fiercely into the flames.

On the bed, Moira listened quietly. She heard every word. One of Ryodan's friends had told her that he was once married to a woman named Zayida who died a long time ago. It pained her heart to hear Ryodan pour out his love to a dead woman. Moira was glad she was dead.