by L M Lacee
“I do not storm anywhere. I regally walk!”
“You really do storm my shadow. I am not the only one to notice.”
Reighn eyed her as she sipped her drink innocently, he would demand his brothers tell him who thinks he storms around, tomorrow. “Regardless I am the Dragon Lord, this is my territory no portals are to be open without my authority. Ocean must learn this.”
“Ocean opened it. Oh wow, she is amazing! What will you do?”
“Find out why she did it and ask her not to do so again.”
“Well, that could be fun!”
Reighn eyed her as he finished his drink and placed his glass down on the table. “You think I am sacred of her?”
Sage barely held her laughter in as she said coyly. “Well not scared so much as….” She did not finish as she saw the predatory look in his eyes, she slipped from her chair and laughed as she raced into their bedroom with Reighn walking. Not storming, he reminded his dragon after her.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN:
T he next night following another full day of shopping and house renovations. Ocean and her family had all finished dinner which they had eaten on their brand new patio. Birdy, along with the girls had cooked it in the brand new kitchen.
Once again it was a full house. Frankie and Johner introduced June and Fin to Ocean and the girls, who fell in love with June and Fin’s babies. Or their pink hair which seemed to make the girls squeal with delight. The males did not understand it, the females just laughed indulgently at their antics.
Claire and Lars and their young ones arrived after the meal bringing their desserts with them. They sat around indulging in the sweet treat as well as tea and coffee, while the sun started to set. The girls showed Kammy how to catch fireflies which were actual Faeries but no one thought to tell them as they were having so much fun. Birdy had told the adults it was good training for the young faeries… and the girls because of the delight on their faces.
The following morning Conor had to go back to work and Claire, Frankie and Joy arrived to take the girls school clothes shopping. Ocean would join them later, she had some paintings of her mother’s to sort out to take to Edith who she had contacted the night before.
Ocean was in the small room once more sorting through several canvases, trying to decide which ones she would take with her when she visited the gallery. Just as she had made her mind up on twelve, there came a soft knock on the door. “Come in!”
Reighn opened the door as Ocean looked up, seeing him there when she had expected Birdy, took her breath away. He filled the doorway, as his presence reached out and surrounded her. “Have you come for your ten dollars?”
Reighn’s lips twitched. “Ahh no, not really. Although while I am here, I will collect it.”
Standing with a painting in her hands, Ocean’s mind went blank she could see no reason for the Dragon Lord to be here in her home. Then the thought crossed her mind. Did he want his home back?
As if he read her mind, he said softly. “No, I do not want the house back. It is yours. Ocean, may I enter?”
“Oh… oh of course, sorry, rude of me!” He walked in hands in his pockets, a tall imposing figure of a male. “I see you have been mixing with Frankie!”
“How do you know?”
“Rudeness is not to be tolerated. Frankie’s rule.”
Ocean grinned at the exasperated tone he affected. “She does seem to be a stickler for it.”
Reign looked around at the canvases stacked against the walls. He eyed the twelve she had lined up. “Who do all these belong to?”
“How do you know they are not mine?”
“You take photos, amazing photos of people who tell a story.”
“Oh!” Once again she was taken aback.” I did not know you knew that?”
Reighn looked at her and smiled. “I have several of your works in my home.” Pleased beyond belief, that the most powerful, important Dragon Lord liked her work. Ocean smiled. “Really! Thank you, I was going to ask if I could take photos here.”
“Of course you may. If it would not be an imposition, I would love for you to do some of my young and my shadow.”
“Oh, I would love to and your dragon?”
Reighn’s dragons swamped him with pleasure, smiling he told her. “He likes that idea.”
Reighn picked up a painting from the ones she had placed in a line and looked at it. Ocean saw it was one of the ones she was debating taking, he asked,
“Who is this?”
It was a painting of a tall dark haired male and a little girl with light purple hair around three or four, her hand tucked securely in his. The bottom of their pants rolled up as they walked along the sand. Ocean flicked her eyes at the painting and away as her voice took on the neutral tones she used when discussing her mother. “I have no idea, someone she painted I guess.”
Reighn took it to the window and looked at it in the light. “The hair is the same color as yours except there are red steaks where as you have blue.”
“Really!” Ocean moved closer. “So it is, well that is not me, I never had a dad or male to take me to a beach.” Reighn wondered if she heard the pain and anger in her voice as he looked at the painting he realized this was probably Ciana and her grandfather.
“Did your mother know Ciana and her grandparents?”
Ocean looked at the painting, then Reighn, then out the window he could see emotions whirling in her eyes, yet she did not speak them, only shrugged saying, “I do not know what or who my mother knew.” She gently took the painting from him and placed it with a stack of others and lifted another of a house and placed it where the other one had been.
“So why are you here, if not for your ten dollars?”
Reighn saw that pleasantries were apparently over. “Ocean did you open a portal yesterday?”
“Yeah to get all these from my storage unit.” She told him as she squatted down to look at another canvas. “Ocean?” Reighn’s voice took on a questioning tone.
She looked up. “Yes Reighn.”
“How were you able too?”
Ocean stood up and cocked her head to the side as she looked at the male. He looked mildly inquisitive, but more he seemed confused as though he was unsure who he was talking to. “Was I not meant to?”
“No, I have placed a ban on Dragon’s Gap. I am the only one who is able to open a portal, unless I give my permission for someone else to do so.”
“Oh well okay. I am sorry, I did not know that?”
“So I ask again. How did you?”
Ocean frowned. “I don’t understand I opened a portal. I won’t do it again!”
Reighn ran a hand around his neck, “No, Ocean it is not that you did so. It is you are not meant to be able to do so. I banned it!”
Ocean stood looking at him for a moment processing his words. Then said softly. “Oh, I see… Reighn I don’t know how.” She shrugged. “I just did it.”
Reighn nodded. “Can you do it again?”
She raised her eyebrows. “Well okay… I suppose.” With that she reopened the portal within the storage unit. Reighn nodded. “Thank you, close it please.”
Ocean dismissed the portal. “So what did you learn?”
Reighn smiled. “I assume you are looking at taking these to Edith’s gallery?” He nodded to the paintings leaning against the wall in a line, accepting the change in topic, she agreed. “Yes, she called last night. I take it you told her.”
“Actually I did not, she told me who your mother was. Are you taking anything of yours?”
“Yes.” She sighed. “She was most insistent.”
Reighn laughed, “That is our Edee. Now are these the ones needed taken downstairs?”
“I see, you think there is a need for tea and coffee for this conversation?”
Reighn sighed. “Yes. I feel it will need that at least.”
“Well okay.” She pointed out the paintings leaning against the wall. “All those.”
Between them they
carried twelve from the room to the foyer where she had placed several framed photos earlier. They met Adam and Ian as they finished placing the paintings against the wall.
“My Lord and Lady Ocean.” They both greeted them, Ocean smiled at the dragons, Reighn nodded. “Good morning, Adam, Ian.”
Adam asked. “Lady Ocean may we help?”
“Yes, are you going into town?”
“We are about to, yes.”
“Well could you take these to the gallery? The Lady Edith is waiting for them.”
“We will do so.” With utmost care the males picked up the canvases and framed photos and took them to their truck. Birdy walked out from the kitchen. “I am off to get the rest of my things, the guys finished our place already. Tea and coffee are on the table as is my famous chocolate cake.”
“Thanks Birdy.” Ocean said. Birdy greeted Reighn. “My Lord, good morning.”
“And to you Birdy. You are happy to work here?”
She smiled. “Immensely my Lord.”
After they were alone and before she took him to the kitchen. Ocean offered to show him around. “We have been busy in only two days. They have done so much. Would you like a tour?”
Reighn smiled at the gracious offer and he knew it was heartfelt. This was a very different female than the one who had entered his office a few nights ago. One who had punched her knuckles until they were broken and raw. He wondered if it was Conor or her young or maybe the magic of Dragon’s Gap that had given her some peace as Claire predicted.
Gently he said. “I can see that. You know if I could, may I bring Sage so together we can see everything?” At her enquiring look he said. “Otherwise, I will have to give her a blow by blow account of every room and you and I know I will miss something about the rooms design or furniture or color.”
Laughing Ocean held her hand up. “I see your dilemma, I think waiting will be wise.”
“I thank you.” He sounded relieved.
“It probably will be for the best apparently Adam and Ian as well as Ivan and George will all be finished by the end of next week.”
She looked at him and issued an invitation for him and his family. “You know, come for dinner on Friday next. We will have a BBQ. That way you can bring your little ones and we can do the whole place, the girls will love to entertain your girls.”
“I will advise Sage. She will be pleased.” He told her as they walked into the modern sparkling kitchen, Reighn sighed. “This is lovely, very nice, see I would never be able to describe all this.” He admired the black granite counters with the stainless steel appliances. He especially loved the way they had not hidden the stone away. Ocean smiled as she looked around. “The basic design is ours but once we met Adam and Ian we let them at it. They are true artists. This is nothing compared to the bathrooms.”
Reighn sighed with delight. “My great grandfather commissioned this home for my great grandmother on my Dam’s side of the family. My Sire says he was a pretentious male. Well, he uses another word but I am being polite.”
Ocean grinned. “I see and was he?”
Reighn shrugged. “I do not know!” At the sly look he gave her, she knew he remembered the golden room, and she was proved right when he stated. “I think the great room answers that question. What do you think?”
Ocean laughed out loud. “Oh so that was not you?” Reighn looked affronted. “Hell no, how could you think that?”
“Well…” He held his hand up. “Do not answer that! No that room remains as it was the day they decided on it.”
“It is rather…” Ocean gave up, she could think of nothing but disparaging descriptions. Reighn grinned.
“Yes …yes it is!”
“So as you may have guessed it is being redone and I have photos of how it was because I don’t think words do it justice. Something like that should never… ever be forgotten.”
Reighn grinned. “I agree with you and seriously no one without proof would believe us.”
“There is that!” Ocean laughingly agreed as she took her seat at the table while Reighn took his own. Ocean poured him tea and he cut a slice of cake. They remained in companionable silence until they both heard a tremendous roar from outside. Ocean’s eyes widened as Reighn grunted while he took another bite of cake. When another roar sounded closer, she asked “What was that?”
“That would be your mate.” Reighn calmly told her, “He knows you are alone here with another male. Lions are territorial, especially with their mates.” Ocean blinked at him. “But it is you?”
Reighn raised a black eyebrow. “I am unsure whether to be flattered or insulted!”
Ocean waved her hand, “You know what I mean?” But before he could answer a shadow covered the bay window, Ocean looked at Reighn. “You see like I do, how huge he is right?”
“I do.”
“Umm! I have not met his lion yet.”
“Well, he is here. I would advise letting him in unless you wish them to renew the door.”
Ocean jumped up and opened the large back door. “Huh now I understand why they made it so big.” Reighn helped himself to more tea and cake. It was really good cake.
Ocean moved back into the room as a lion padded into her home, he was fully maned, with bright amber eyes in a head that… Ocean’s thought processes stopped working as more of the gigantic lion entered. She gauged he was as big as a full grown grizzly bear she had photographed once. “Oh my Conor, you are so handsome.” She whispered as she sat in her chair and he moved to her. She ran her hands over his fur and then hugged him around the neck. Or tried to, her arms could not go all the way around.
“You are massive so do you want tea?”
He replied with a grunt. “Well change so you can have some, although we need to try my idea of the bed later.”
At Reighn’s choked laugh she hurriedly explained. “I wanted to know if all of us and Conor as lion could fit on our bed!”
Reighn smiled. “I forgot about that bed, if I remember it is huge.”
“It is enormous,” Ocean told him, “See the reason for the curiosity?”
He nodded. “I do.”
She told Conor. “Reighn has come to find out why I can open portals.”
The lions head swung to Reighn as his eyes narrowed and his growl vibrated deep in his chest which sounded to Ocean’s amusement like a small engine idling. Reighn nodded. “I did, you have not explained the dangers of doing so to her. Which is understandable as I did not know of her ability to do so either. So we find ourselves in the position of having to explain the situation to her earlier than you wished too. Plus this cake is divine.” He took another huge bite to empathize his point.
Conor snarled which shook the windows and made Ocean tighten her hands on his mane which she had been stroking.
Reighn grinned unrepentantly at the lion. “No use being annoyed she has a right to know, how can she be prepared if she is in the dark.”
At another snarl he said. “Oh, do you mean the cake, first in first served, you know my brothers.”
Conor, the lion sniffed loudly and then with a shower of sparkles Conor appeared and growled as he hugged Ocean. “Why are you eating my cake?”
“I told you first in, first to eat cake.”
Conor grunted as he turned from the cake scarfing dragon and looked down into the happy face of his mate, he kissed her and growled. “Why do you give him my cake?”
“Cause I did not know you would be coming home otherwise I would have hid it. I swear.” She solemnly told him. He grinned and looked at Reighn. “It would have made no difference. He would have found it.”
“True I would have.” Reighn told her as he took another bite. “It is really good cake. I see why Birdy called it the famous chocolate cake.”
Conor snorted as his phone rang he excused himself and left the kitchen. But not before admonishing Reighn to leave him some cake, making Ocean giggle as she murmured. “That is one huge lion.”
Reighn agreed. “He
sure is, I have never seen another one bigger.”
“Do you think Paige will be that big?” Ocean asked him with a worried frown creasing her face.
“What does Conor say?”
“That each, ‘First’ is unique, so we will not know until she is mature.”
“Well, I agree with him. We wait and see.”
“But Reighn, that is big!”
He laughed with her which is how Conor, returning from his call found them, he sat and took the cup Ocean passed him and he sliced himself a large piece of the reaming cake. “Thanks for leaving me some.” He muttered to Reighn, who grinned. “No problem!”
Conor gave him a look that spoke of retribution then asked. “So what has happened?”
“We are not going to discuss the arrival of the lion?” Ocean asked. Conor looked at her. “No, you have a male here. My lion is territorial. He did what he would do when that happens.”
“Oh okay. Then one question?”
“Yes my mate.”
“How did he know?”
“We are the Leo, every bit of dirt, stone, basically everything he places or has placed his paws on, we know and we can find out who is where.”
“Wow… that is territorial!” She looked at Reighn, “How does that work with you?”
“Extremely well, we have an understanding. I am the Dragon Lord he is a ‘First.’ It works.”
Ocean could see that was all she was going to get from either male and sighed. “Okay, so the portal?”
“Yes let us address that first.” Reighn filled Conor in on what had taken place. After that they then together explained to Ocean what they knew about the lock and key. And what was expected of her and Ciana and why there was a ban on portals opening. When they finished, Conor reverted back to the topic of the portal as Ocean sat deep in thought about all they had told her. “How was it possible she could do so?”
Reighn shrugged. “I have a theory. Ocean have you shifted?”
“No, can I?”
“Maybe, will you try?”
“Sure.”
Conor asked. “Wait… what if she gets stuck like Ciana did?”
“Ciana got stuck?” Ocean screeched causing the males shoulders to go up around their ears.