A Dragon's Tale

by Donna Grant

  A smile pulled at her lips as a plan started to take root. First, however, she needed to finish the journal. She reopened the book and flipped to the next page. The entries became decidedly shorter as if he had to get the words on paper no matter how difficult they were.

  * * *

  You are always in my thoughts: morning, noon, and night, and all the spaces in between.

  It’s just you.

  Always you.

  * * *

  I miss you so badly the ache transcends time itself.

  * * *

  To love so profoundly that I cannot tell where I end, and you begin—made that much more difficult to bear because you aren’t beside me.

  * * *

  When Rhi closed the journal, she put her hand atop it and smiled. Then she rose and walked to Con’s bedside table and set the red book down. She left the bedroom and made her way toward the stairs, where she encountered Lexi and Thorn.

  Rhi glanced down. “Have either of you seen Con?”

  “No’ since he ended the meeting early,” Thorn replied.

  Lexi’s slate gray eyes held concern as she asked in a Southern accent, “Everything all right?”

  “It’s perfect,” Rhi replied.

  Thorn arched a dark brow. “You say that despite the tear stains on your face?”

  Rhi wiped at her cheeks. “They’re happy tears.” She smiled. “Don’t expect Con or me for the rest of the day or evening. Spread the word.”

  With that, Rhi whirled around and rushed back into the bedroom. She snapped her fingers to produce some red paper and a pen with glittery gold ink. Then she sat down and began to craft her own love notes.

  By the time she was finished, she was giddy with excitement. She took all the pieces of paper and folded them before teleporting all around Dreagan, making a trail to lead Con to the place she’d chosen. She glanced at the sky to see that more time had passed than she wanted. After teleporting back to the manor, she went looking for Ulrik.

  “I need a favor,” she told the King of Silvers.

  Ulrik smiled, his arms crossed over his chest. “Oh?”

  “Stop that,” Eilish told him as she playfully hit him in the arm.

  Rhi smiled at the Druid in thanks before returning her attention to Ulrik. “I need you to make sure Con finds the note I left him in our room.”

  “Is that all?” he asked.

  Rhi glanced down at her clothes, her mind running through different ideas of what to wear. “Don’t let anyone stop him. Or help him,” she added.

  “We won’t,” Eilish promised.

  Rhi flashed them a bright smile. “Thank you. Now, we need to get him to the manor. Or is he already here?”

  “Last I saw him, he was in his mountain,” Ulrik answered. “Getting him here willna be a problem. Go. We’ll take care of this for you.”

  Rhi placed a kiss on his cheek and then Eilish’s. “Thank you both.”

  I want you in so many ways that I can’t put it into words.

  Chapter Seven

  Con strode out of the mountain and headed through the secret door in the manor’s conservatory. His strides were long as he searched for Ulrik, who had asked him to return. He found his friend in the library. Ulrik sat on the sofa before the fire with Eilish.

  Ulrik looked up from rubbing his mate’s feet as she lay on the couch, reading a book. “Hey.”

  “Is everything good?” Con asked, worry filling him.

  Things had been quiet for several months, and that wasn’t usual at Dreagan. He’d been waiting for something to happen. Had that time finally come?

  Ulrik nodded and jerked his chin toward the stairs. “Rhi wants you.”

  Con frowned, wondering why Rhi hadn’t come looking for him. He decided against asking the couple if they knew anything and instead turned on his heel and made his way to the stairs. He took the steps three at a time. As he reached the landing of the top floor and passed V’s chamber, he heard V’s and Claire’s laughter.

  He was thrilled that the couple was so happy. So far, Claire’s pregnancy had been going well. Her due date was fast approaching, so everyone was on pins and needles. Con shifted his mind from them to Rhi. When he reached the door to their chambers, he opened it and scanned the room for her. When he didn’t immediately see her, he moved farther inside and called out her name.

  Unease rippled through him as he walked to the bathroom and looked inside. He looked in both his closet and hers, but he still didn’t see her. It wasn’t until he stood in the middle of their bedroom and cast a more critical eye around the space that he spotted the journal on the table. He slowly went to it and brushed his fingers over the red leather cover. That’s when he saw the paper sticking out.

  Con lifted the journal and opened it. A piece of red paper floated out and down, but he easily caught it. He set the book aside and spotted Rhi’s flowy handwriting in gold glitter ink on the red stationery.

  * * *

  Open me. I’ll show you the way.

  * * *

  Con unfolded the paper and smiled as he read:

  * * *

  Hey, handsome!

  * * *

  I’ve planned a scavenger hunt for you. If you find all the love notes, you’ll find me. There are eight in all. This is your first one.

  I want you in so many ways that I can’t put it into words.

  * * *

  R

  * * *

  Con folded the note and tucked it into the inside pocket of his suit jacket. He took another look around the room before he strode into the hallway. After looking first one way and then the other, Con made his way to his office. The other rooms on the third floor were for each of the Dragon Kings and their mates if they had them, which meant Rhi wouldn’t put a note in any of those spaces. Nor did he expect her to leave one in Ryder’s computer room.

  When Con reached his office, he opened the door and stepped inside. He found the red paper neatly folded and tucked into a crystal glass next to the decanter of Dreagan whisky on his sideboard. He walked over and opened it.

  * * *

  You’re the only one who can give me strength and make me weak at the same time.

  That’s how I knew you were it for me.

  That’s how I knew you weren’t just The One, but the only one.

  * * *

  Con folded the second note and tucked it away. Then he thought about other places Rhi might have left a note in the manor. He immediately made his way to the library, ignoring Ulrik and Eilish. During December, when he and Rhi had most of the month alone at Dreagan, they’d spent a lot of time in the library.

  He found the red paper in the arms of a wooden dragon on a bookshelf.

  * * *

  You’ve seen the ugly parts of me. And despite them, you still love me.

  * * *

  Con checked every room on the main floor and came up empty until he reached the conservatory. There, between the blushy pink petals of Rhi’s favorite flower—peonies—was a red piece of paper.

  * * *

  You believed in me when others didn’t. You stood beside me during my darkest hours. I will always stand beside you.

  * * *

  Con put the note away, his gaze going to the door that led into the mountain. He walked through it and started down the tunnel. He found a note stuck to the rock next to the first dragon he had carved in the mountain.

  He ran his hand over the figure of the gold dragon before he reached for the note.

  * * *

  Now and forever. Two words that describe the time I want to be with you.

  * * *

  After putting the missive with the rest of the notes, Con continued on. He searched more of the tunnels and caverns but didn’t see any more red. He then walked out the back side of the mountain.

  The snow was coming down harder now, blanketing the ground already covered with it. He stepped into the thick powder and made his way around the mountain to the side of the manor where he and Rhi
had had their snowball fight.

  A chuckle escaped him when he saw the miniature snowman with a stick arm that held one of the red notes. He had a huge smile on his face when he opened the paper.

  * * *

  You are all that I need, all that I want. You’re all I’ll ever ask for.

  * * *

  Con released a breath, a cloud billowing as he looked around. There were many options for where Rhi might have left another note. There were only three left. In the distance, he caught sight of the Dragonwood. So many of his encounters with Rhi had happened in that forest. Con was anxious to find the next note, but more impatient to find his mate.

  He started running toward the Dragonwood. Once inside the trees, he skidded to a halt, the stillness of the forest broken only by the falling snowflakes. He blinked them from his eyelashes as he searched the area for a sign of red amidst the white and brown.

  Con weaved through the trees for some time, becoming more piqued the longer it took to find another note. It wasn’t until he came to a clearing that he smiled, shaking his head. This was the place he had told her why he had broken things off between them. And there, stuck in the bark of a pine, was the note.

  * * *

  You are my favorite adventure.

  * * *

  He put the note with the others and turned north because he knew where the next place would be. Con left the Dragonwood and shifted, his large wings flapping as he flew to the mountaintop where he had first seen Rhi, the same place they had exchanged vows of love so very long, long ago.

  Con landed, returning to his human form the moment his feet touched the earth. Gray clouds hung low in the sky, but he didn’t care. To him, the world was bathed in the bright light of his mate. His queen.

  He stood where Rhi had been and looked out over the mountains. The beauty and magic of Dreagan had drawn her to the land initially. He didn’t care why she had come, only that she had. That day had changed him in more ways than he could ever begin to describe.

  Con turned to look at the place where he had landed behind her so long ago. Under a stack of rocks, held safely in place from the wind, was the red paper. He picked it up and gently unfolded it as snow landed on the note.

  * * *

  If I know what love is, it’s because of you.

  * * *

  Con slipped it into his pocket with the others, then turned to face his mountain. He ran and leapt off the mountain, shifting. Drawing in a deep breath, he flew toward his mountain. The closer he got to it, the harder it snowed. He flew over the top, then dipped a wing and swung around. He looked at the smaller entrance in the hopes he might spot Rhi. As he circled the mountain, he chose the large entrance he usually used while in dragon form.

  He hovered over the mountain before tucking his wings and gliding inside. Con landed and breathed deeply, picking up Rhi’s scent. He returned to his human form and adjusted his suit jacket before starting toward her.

  When he entered the cavern, he was taken aback by what she had done to the stark surroundings. Thousands of candles were scattered…everywhere. On the floor, high up on the wall, and even floating above them. A platform bed covered in furs and pillows stood in the middle of the cavern. He saw a champagne bottle sticking out of an ice bucket with two champagne flutes nearby. More fur rugs had been scattered across the floor.

  The moment he saw her, his breath lodged in his lungs. Her midnight locks hung freely down her back as she stood barefoot on one of the rugs. A sleeveless, gold lace and tulle robe that tied beneath her breasts graced her gorgeous body.

  The candlelight allowed him to see that she wore nothing beneath it. His blood heated, desire surging through him. As he moved forward, he used his magic to play The Righteous Brothers’ Unchained Melody.

  She smiled, her silver eyes crinkling at the corners when he stopped before her. “I love this song.”

  “I know,” he said and touched her cheek with the backs of his knuckles.

  “You have one more note,” she told him as she held up the red paper.

  Con opened it.

  * * *

  You are mine, and I am yours.

  * * *

  He put it with the rest and covered the stack with his palm over his heart. Then he took her hands in his. “Thank you.”

  “You wrote me millions of love notes, and I only got to read a few of them. You deserve your own.”

  “I’m just happy to have you back in my arms. The past is gone. We learn from our mistakes, and we forge forward.”

  “Together.”

  He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Forever,” he murmured before he untied her robe and slipped it off her shoulders and down her arms.

  I love you.

  Chapter Eight

  Rhi lay in Con’s arms as Michael Bublé’s The Very Thought of You played. Con caressed her back softly as he stared up at the ceiling of the cavern. He kissed the top of her head and squeezed her tightly.

  She sighed in contentment, her body, heart, and soul rejoicing. Con had one of the furs pulled to his hips, but she didn’t need it. He gave off enough body heat to keep her warm. Outside, a snowstorm raged, but they were in a cocoon of love and bliss within his mountain.

  As happy as she was, she couldn’t help thinking about the journal. Rhi shifted so she propped herself on Con’s chest and met his black eyes that reflected the many candle flames. His blond hair was disheveled, and a day’s worth of whiskers graced his jaw, which she found incredibly sexy.

  “What, love?” he asked while tugging on a strand of her hair.

  “Where did you go today?”

  A brief frown pulled at his brows. “Here, actually.”

  “You ended the meeting to be alone?”

  He gave her a crooked grin. “I was thinking about you. Then Ulrik and I flew around Dreagan for a wee bit before I came here.”

  “Why did you come here?”

  “I doona know.”

  “You do,” she insisted. It was time she got to the bottom of things.

  Con turned onto his side and propped his head in his hand, his elbow bent. “Is there something wrong with me coming here?”

  “Not at all.” Rhi turned onto her side to face him. “All those years we were apart, I did everything I could to forget you.”

  “Aye,” he said with a nod.

  She waited, but when he didn’t continue, she went on. “We both immersed ourselves in everything we could just to get through each day. While I held onto my hate, you also had hatred.”

  “I didna,” he quickly replied.

  Rhi put a finger over his lips. “Not for me, handsome. For yourself. You were filled with regret and self-loathing. I read it in the words you put down in that journal. There was also love and hope. But while we’re together now, you’re still holding onto the past. You’re still thinking about all the years we missed. The news of our children only compounds that.”

  Con blew out a breath and flopped onto his back. “I keep thinking there was another route that I just didna see.”

  “Stop,” Rhi said as she scooted to him and touched his face. “The past is done. Those decisions were made. The actions carried out. There’s no changing it. How many times have you told me that?”

  “Numerous.” He turned his head to look at her.

  “The same advice applies to you. You’re strong, and those broad shoulders of yours have carried the weight of so many throughout the centuries. It’s time you set aside the pain and remorse about our children and us. It might have taken me a while to see the truth, but now that I have, I can see you’re walking the same path you worked so hard to get me off of.”

  His lips curved into a grin as he touched her cheek. “Is this where you tell me that everything happens for a reason?”

  “No, because you’re smart enough to know that already. Let go of the past, my love. We’re together now. We’ve vanquished the enemies that tried to keep us apart. We have an amazing home and many family members.
On top of all of that, we have twins that we now get to learn about.”

  “Has anyone ever told you what a brilliant woman you are?”

  Rhi smiled brightly. “Yes, but you can say it again.”

  He lifted his head and kissed her deeply. When her arms wound around his neck, he rolled her onto her back. He ended the kiss and looked down at her. “Have you really let go of the past?”

  “Absolutely. That hate I mentioned? It wasn’t hate at all. It was love. My broken heart just couldn’t discern the difference. The moment I opened my heart to you again, you healed all the pieces that had been shattered. That’s how strong our love is. I forgave you long, long ago. I just didn’t realize it until we kissed at the Light Castle. And I knew, no matter what I tried to tell myself to keep you away, that it was a lie. The truth was that I never stopped loving you. And if there was even a glimmer of a chance of reuniting, then I would grab it with both hands.”

  Con shook his head slowly. “I doona deserve you.”

  “Oh, you most certainly do.” Rhi cupped his face with her hands. “My question to you is this. Will you let go of the past?”

  “Aye, love, I will. I have everything I ever wanted. I should’ve let go and moved forward instead of rehashing it over and over in my mind.”

  “That’s because you’re trying to determine a way not to make the same mistakes. The problem with that is that you assume there was a mistake. Look around Dreagan, handsome. Many Dragon Kings are mated and happy, the distillery continues to thrive, there is much-needed peace, and we have each other. The path you chose was the one that led to this. It made everyone involved go through some difficult times, but we’ve all come out of it as better individuals.”