by Lia Davis
Running his knuckles down her cheek, he felt the hint of a spark, an attraction he hadn’t noticed for the female before. Her eyes lightened slightly as if her inner cat surfaced. She was pretty and exotic. “To answer your first question, no, I have not started the web. But I plan to very soon. I have to make sure Nyna accepts me for who I am.” He released her and stepped away.
“I need your help proving that Henry killed her parents,” Kara whispered.
Her plea was his undoing. His only weakness—a female in trouble.
“We can’t go to the police without the murder weapon. It is the missing link in the case.” He paced the floor, avoiding eye contact with her.
“I might know where it is.”
Closing his eyes, he growled. “Fine, but we do it my way, and Nyna isn’t to know what we are doing until we have the weapon and more evidence. She loves her uncle, and will not just accept your word.”
“She has a right to know.”
He growled and met her gaze. “You have to think of her feelings. Besides, what do you think Henry would do to her if he thought she knew?”
Kara broke the eye contact. “I can’t lie to her or stay away.”
“Neither can I.”
“So, what’s the plan?”
Nyna flipped the lights on as she entered Carter’s Books and Gifts then turned the neon Open sign on. The smell of books and incense lingered in the air, soothing. She hummed softly as she made her way to the back of the store where her office was. After locking her purse up, she selected a playlist from her computer and pressed play. The quiet store filled with soft coffee house music.
The bookstore was her grandmother’s baby. Since Nyna loved hanging out here anytime she visited, she’d decided to work here after graduation, not caring that it was a forty-five-minute drive from Louisville. Grams had taught her everything there was to know about the specialty gifts and books she carried. As a college graduation gift, Grams had signed ownership over to Nyna.
With a heavy heart, Nyna sighed at the memory of her grandmother. The older woman had passed away of natural causes about three years ago. Then thoughts of her parents settled in, bringing a few tears. God, she missed them. Sadness and grief had turned into anger some time ago. She was pissed that the police didn’t care enough to do more to find the killer. The bastard was still out there. Somewhere.
The door chimed, drawing her attention. A smile tugged at her lips at the sight of her uncle, Henry Carter. “Good morning. When did you get back in town?”
His brown gaze met hers. He looked tired and a little annoyed, but he smiled at her. “I just got in and thought to stop by to see my favorite niece.”
She rolled her eyes. “Considering I’m your only one...”
“So true.” He glanced around, his brows dipping. “The place hasn’t changed much.”
With a sigh, she turned and picked up one of the boxes that had been delivered the day before and opened it. Inside, wrapped tightly with bubble wrap, were the glass figurines she’d ordered. They would go nicely in the new case she’d bought last month at the antique auction.
“I guess not much changed in the last couple of months.” She tried to keep the sarcasm out of her tone but failed. Even though she loved her uncle, he could be…well, a little judgmental at times. As well as negative. She could only handle him in small doses because he always left a heaviness behind, and his time was about up.
Her cell rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and smiled shyly at the number. Cayden Reinhardt. Turning her back to her uncle, she answered. “Hello.”
“Hi, beautiful.”
His deep, husky voice sent hot need racing through her. She’d never been the type to date older men, but Cayden was different. Not that they were dating. Hell, he’d never even asked her out. There was the occasional call. And he’d come by the store with his laptop and sit in the corner to write. They’d gotten to know each other a bit, even flirted and teased each other. But there was so much more to know. So much more she wanted to know. Like, why was a man so sexy still single? “To what do I owe this pleasant surprise?”
But it didn’t hurt to flirt when the opportunity arose.
“Do you have lunch plans?”
Her heart froze in mid-beat before thump, thumping in rapid succession. “Um, no.”
Was he actually asking her out?
“Good. I’ll be there at noon.” He hung up, not giving her a chance to reply. But that was Cayden. A man of few words.
She shoved her phone back in her pocket and tried to slow the rush of blood to her head as she turned to face her uncle once more. Henry glared at her with a raised brow. “Who was that?”
“Cayden.” Turning back to the box of glass miniatures, she picked it up and carried it to the display case by the door. Please leave. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Henry was up to something, or wanted something and just wasn’t going to tell her what. It was no secret that he and Cayden didn’t get along.
“Isn’t he too old for you? He’s a little older than your father would be if he were still alive.”
The judgment in her uncle’s tone prodded the anger she carried for the heartless bastard who’d killed her parents and she snapped. She jerked around and pinned him with a narrowed-eye glare. “Cayden is only thirty-nine. Dad would have turned forty-five in a week.” Her lip trembled, and her eyes burned as tears threatened to form. “I think you need to leave so I can get back to work. Thank you for stopping by.”
A tic formed in his jaw a moment before he pivoted on his heels and walked out of the store. Nyna blew out a breath. Maybe she was being too sensitive. With her dad’s birthday in a few days, she didn’t feel like being around family. Too many memories, too many feelings she didn’t want to deal with.
Unwrapping the figurines, she carefully placed them in the case. Each one was a different animal with a few fairies thrown in. She would have to price them much higher than her other items, and she hoped she hadn’t made a bad business choice. The real test wouldn’t come until the tourists arrived in the spring.
She stepped back to admire the display. Despite her uncle’s grumpy attitude, she was in a fabulous mood. After all, Cayden was taking her to lunch.
***
Cayden entered the small bookstore and inhaled Nyna’s natural lilac scent mixed with the hint of books and the rosemary mint notes from her infuser behind the counter. He and the dragon relaxed, like they always did when they were around Nyna. Hence why he had chosen her to be his life partner. Whether the curse broke or not, he was sure he could live a long, happy existence with her.
“I’ll be right there.”
He smiled at the sound of Nyna’s voice. He followed it down the row of bookshelves in the center of the store. He fought a groan when he saw her halfway up a stepladder, stretching to the top shelf. Each time she reached up to put a book in its place, his heart froze briefly. She could fall. His dragon would have none of it.
Advancing closer, he said, “You should buy a longer ladder.”
She gasped and whirled around so fast the ladder wobbled. Not thinking, he lunged forward, catching her as she started to fall. He didn’t care if she picked up on his super strength, speed, or the magic that whirled around them in that moment. His only thought was to make sure she didn’t get hurt.
“I didn’t mean to startle you,” he apologized, dipping his brows while scanning her for injuries.
She placed her palm over his left pec and let out a nervous laugh. “It’s okay. I didn’t hear you come up.” Her eyes rounded. “What time is it?”
“Only five after eleven.”
“Oh. I thought I was late.”
He stared into her brown eyes, mesmerized by how the gold flecks caught the light just right. She was a pure soul, full of love and light, even with the sorrow she carried from her parents’ deaths.
Shaking out of the trance, he lowered her feet to the floor while still holding her to him. “There is so much I want to tell yo
u.”
Tiny creases formed on her forehead, and damn if he didn’t want to kiss them away. “What kinds of things?”
“Things that are impossible to believe in, that cannot be repeated to anyone else.”
Her eyes lit up as she smiled. “Your secrets are safe with me.”
He had no doubt that they would be. However, he couldn’t tell her here. The bookstore had ears, like many places in Woodland Creek, Indiana. The town had been founded by five magical families—three shifter families and two wizard clans. And a series of ley-lines ran through the Running Deer State Forest out by the university. Plus, it was a small town and news traveled fast, unless it was business of the magical sort. Nearly none of the humans living in Craft County knew anything about the wizards or shifters living among them. And the members of the magical community wanted to keep it that way. Not that Cayden cared if the wizards and shifters in town had an issue with him revealing himself to his chosen partner. It was Nyna’s reaction he feared. He had no idea how she’d take the news that he was a fire-breathing, magic-weaving dragon.
“I arranged a picnic for us.”
Her smile widened, and excitement flashed in her gaze. Yes, his little introvert loved private lunches and other activities. He’d watched over her most her life, intrigued by her inner light and love for life and nature. From the time he’d met her when she was a teen, he liked her. So he learned as much about her as he could without her noticing until she was of the age where he could get to know her more intimately. “That sounds amazing, but where is everything?”
“You’ll see.”
Linking their hands, he tugged her to the door. When they reached it, he waited outside while she locked up and put her Out To Lunch sign in place. All the while, he watched how her blonde hair reflected the light from the mid-day sun. His fingers tingled with the magic that ran in his veins. The urge to weave his web was too strong for him to ignore, but he couldn’t catch her in it without revealing who—what—he was.
“Ready,” she said cheerfully.
He smiled down at her and took her hand again; he couldn’t fight the urge to touch. His dragon wouldn’t allow it.
On the way to a small, less-populated area of the park, Nyna was quiet. Glancing at her, Cayden noted how she took in the beauty of the forest as she scanned the area. He’d always known she loved nature. Hence why he’d chosen the picnic.
Coming to a stop at the picnic table he’d set up moments before he picked her up, he motioned for her to sit.
She rewarded him with a warm, bright smile as she sat on the bench. “This is lovely.”
“Not as lovely as you.”
Her cheeks colored and she averted her gaze. She was so beautiful. After a moment, she said, “I am curious as to why you are showing me attention all of a sudden.”
“What do you mean? We’ve talked on many occasions.”
She shrugged. “You’ve never invited me to lunch or acted like…well, like you’re interested.”
The last part of her statement came out as a whisper. The slight notes of embarrassment flowed in the air around her. He settled on the bench across from her and unpacked the basket, setting her plate before his own. “I’ve wanted to ask you out for a while. I’ve just been kind of afraid to.”
Her eyes rounded and she lifted her gaze to his. “I don’t believe that. You’ve always been so confident in everything you do.”
He nodded. “I am. Usually. I know how to get what I want and make things work in my favor. However, I’m not quite so confident with you.”
“Why? I mean, I’m just me.”
He reached over and covered her hand. “You are so much more than you realize. You’re beautiful, strong, and the most caring person I know. I’m attracted to you.”
Again, her cheeks turned pink and she lowered her gaze to the plate. “Why were you afraid to ask me out?”
Because I was afraid you couldn’t love a dragon. He shook off the thought. Nyna was very intuitive for a human, and he guessed she sensed that he needed to tell her something. However, was she ready to hear what he had to say?
He had to tell her. His only other option was to step away and lose her to Kara. He couldn’t let that happen. Even if it meant including Kara in his web. “I need to tell you something that might scare you.”
She lifted her gaze and cocked her head. A slight smile formed on her lips, then she leaned across the table and whispered, “Are you a shifter?”
He straightened and opened his senses to their surroundings. Good thing the handful of humans in the park weren’t close enough to hear their conversation. “How do you know about shifters?”
Sitting back in her seat, she scanned the area as if doing her own assessment. “I’ll take that as a yes. Kara is one.”
Sadness settled into her features, darkening her gaze. He closed his eyes briefly; debating whether he should tell her that Kara had returned and was currently taking up space in his house. He decided not to. The first thing he needed to do was secure Nyna as his life partner. He’d let Kara work on fixing whatever bullshit she’d gotten herself into.
“Yes, I’m a shifter. I’m a black dragon.”
Nyna blinked and tensed her body. Fear that she would run filled Cayden. Resting his hands on the table, he waited for the words to settle in. Finally, after several long moments that felt like hours, she spoke. “How big?”
“Big.”
“I thought dragons weren’t real.” She watched him with such intensity; he wondered what was going on in her head. “I would love to see your dragon form, but I suppose you can’t change right now. I mean with all the people around.”
He shook his head. “I do have a private cavern deep in the forest. If you’d like, I could take you there sometime.”
She stared at him some more before asking, “Why did you tell me? Kara told me that no humans were to know about shifters unless…” She threw a hand over her mouth as if realizing his intentions.
Before she could speak again, or run, he gripped her forearm gently. “I would like you to be my life partner. I’ve chosen you to spend the rest of my life with.”
She opened her mouth, shut it, shook her head, and then spoke. “That’s very close to a marriage proposal.”
Well, she was right. “It is, in a way. But you have to accept it. Accept me.”
It was the only way he could weave his web. Not that he’d ever done it before. But he’d promised himself he would never force anyone into a loveless union. Plus, it was part of his curse. His chosen partner had to come to him willingly and fall in love with him before completing the union. There was a very short window in which he had to woo her after the web was cast.
“What happens if I don’t accept?”
His chest tightened. “Then you’ll never be bothered by me again.”
Her brows bunched together. “I’m just not sure. This is so sudden. We barely know each other. I mean, this is our first date.”
“You don’t have to tell me your answer now. Just let me spoil you and try to win your heart.” Relief flowed through him when she relaxed and eased forward a little.
“I can do that. But I do want to meet your dragon.”
He chuckled. “And he wants to meet you, as well.”
Two hours after the amazing lunch with Cayden and his shocking proposal, Nyna was back at work, stocking books. She couldn’t keep the smile off her face. As sudden as it all seemed, she wondered what it would be like to spend the rest of her life with him. Deep down, she felt that he would give her anything she wanted or needed. Kara had told her shifters were fiercely loyal to their partners.
Although she hadn’t been all that surprised when he announced he was a shifter, she’d never dreamed he was a dragon. She’d sensed he was different, like Kara, because he had the same type of energy surrounding him. Most people would call her crazy for even thinking there was magic in the world. She’d never thought about it much, especially since Kara left.
The thought of Kara made her heart ache. Kara had been Nyna’s best friend and lover through high school and college. Hell, they’d even bought the house Nyna now lived in together. They’d promised each other many things. To always be a couple among them. Then, out of the blue, Kara left. Disappeared from Nyna’s life, tearing open the hole left by her parents’ murder.
The door chimed, drawing her attention to the front of the store. She climbed down from the ladder and made her way to the counter. When she reached the register, she frowned at the sight in front of her. Kara. Old feelings of hurt, anger, and loneliness rose up. Nyna moved behind the counter and sat on her stool where she read or surfed the Internet in between cleaning and working with customers. Why was Kara there? “How can I help you?”
Kara dropped her shoulders and approached the counter. “I came by to say I’m back.”
With every fiber of her being, Nyna forced herself to stay put. A part of her was thrilled to see her ex-lover, but the broken-hearted part of her wanted nothing to do with Kara. However, it wasn’t in her nature to cast people out without a solid reason. Sure, Kara had hurt her by leaving, but something deep inside told Nyna she should hear the woman out. Besides, she wanted to know why Kara had left without a word. “Why did you leave?”
Kara glanced to door, then back at her. “I…it’s a long story, and maybe a little hard to believe.”
“Then leave.” When Kara didn’t move, Nyna locked gazes with her. A wave of sadness cut through her heart. Something tugged at Nyna’s subconscious, an urging to at least hear the woman out. There had to be a good reason why she would tell Nyna she loved her one day and then disappear the next.
Folding her arms, she set her jaw and said, “Explain.”
Relief rippled over Kara’s body and she released a breath. “I saw who murdered your parents. Before I could go to the police, the man had me kidnapped and held against my will. I just escaped this morning.”