Hidden Dragon

by Harmony Raines

  “With my dad.” Fleur patted his chest. “I think it’s a great idea. I don’t think I was enthusiastic enough about this before.”

  “We both had a lot on our minds.” He leaned forward and said, “I have something else on my mind right now.”

  “Does it have anything to do with our plans to visit Woodacre?” Fleur slid her hands down his chest and rested them on his belt buckle. “We could fly up there in an hour or two.”

  Doran looked at the sky which was slowly turning midnight blue as the sun set behind the distant mountains. “Maybe we could sleep out under the stars tonight.”

  “That sounds like a plan. We can go home and get some food and camping gear. We can stow it on your back and fly to Woodacre as soon as it’s dark enough. I haven’t camped out since I was a teenager.” She tugged him by the belt buckle toward her car. “We can make a campfire, tell ghost stories.”

  “So you want to step back in time and spend a night with me without any modern conveniences?” Doran asked. “Like indoor plumbing?”

  “We can do without indoor plumbing for one night.” Fleur unlocked the car and got in, while Doran went around to the other side and yanked open the car door a little too eagerly. “Ready?”

  He nodded and she drove out of Bear Creek, heading home. Although she didn’t know how much longer her parents’ house would be home. It was time for her to spread her wings and fly. She might not be a dragon, but she was an adult now and it was time to move on and have her own space with her mate.

  An hour and one dragon flight later, they were enjoying their own space in a small clearing twenty feet or so away from the hole in the ground from where Doran’s dragon had emerged only days ago.

  “Does this bring back memories?” Fleur asked as she fed another log to the hungry flames that flickered and danced in the darkness. She’d brought matches to light the fire, but Doran had insisted on his dragon lighting it with dragon fire. The dragon fire worked perfectly, except he’d incinerated half their woodpile instantly.

  However, Fleur was just happy to see him having fun.

  “My memories are all back,” Doran answered as he leaned forward and prodded the fire.

  “You know what I mean.” She leaned into him as he sat back on the blanket they were sharing and slid his arm around her shoulders.

  “I do know.” Doran fell silent for a few moments. They both stared at the flames licking at the wood as the mountain breeze made the fire leap up and dance. Reds and oranges blended together, as the heat from the fire warmed them. “I’m trying to filter them. If I let them all in at once, it overwhelms me.”

  “You’ve lost so much.” Fleur placed her hand on his chest, her fingers stroking him through his clothing.

  Doran dropped a kiss on her head and murmured, “But I’ve also gained so much more. I would not swap this moment with you for any moment in my past life. It’s gone. You are my future.”

  She sat up, the firelight glinting off her ring. “Let’s do something to celebrate our future.”

  “I like that idea.” He nodded. “We could get married.”

  “We could. But how about we do something bigger than that.” She took hold of his hand and stroked her finger across his palm. “I’ve been thinking about your idea of buying a farm. I can just see you and my dad working side by side on the land. It would give you something to focus your energy on.”

  “I admit the thought of working outside with the sun on my back and the mountains surrounding me is appealing.” He nodded. “And I also want Edith’s permission to build a cottage on Woodacre.”

  “Why not build two? One for us and one for Edith and Mr. Preston. It would seem as if your family and Yolanda’s family have come full circle.” Fleur settled back down and stared at the flames once more. “What do you think happened between Yolanda and Edric?”

  “Perhaps Edric had a change of heart?” Fleur suggested. “When he saw what he’d done to you, perhaps he found his honor once more.”

  “I’d like to think so.” Doran half turned to face her. “You like to see the best in people. I like that.”

  “You don’t think that’s what happened?” Fleur asked.

  “Yolanda was still a Rothmore she never took my family name. I don’t think she married my brother. Even though they were mates.” Doran picked up a small twig and threw it into the fire.

  “Do you think he died?” Fleur asked gently. “We could ask George to find the record of births and deaths.”

  Doran nodded and then sighed. “Enough about the past. Enough about my brother. I won’t have him overshadowing my life now that I’m awake.”

  “I know something that might take your mind off everything.” She cupped his chin between her fingers and thumb and turned him to face her. “I’m falling in love with you, old man.”

  He chuckled. “I’m falling for you, too, young lady.”

  She slapped him playfully. “I might be young, but I don’t think I’m a lady.”

  “You are my lady. The lady I’ve been waiting hundreds of years to kiss.” He slipped his hand around to the nape of her neck and leaned forward, his lips pressed against hers. Fleur parted her lips as their kiss deepened. Nipping her bottom lip, he slid his tongue along the bruised flesh. She shivered, not with cold, but with desire. She wanted him here on the mountain, the place where he’d slept for so long waiting for his mate to wake him up.

  Their story was about as close to a fairy tale as she was going to get. It was a role reversal of Sleeping Beauty, only they didn’t need to kiss to wake him, the connection went deeper than that. Much deeper.

  It was as if their souls were connected by some invisible thread. Fleur had heard her brother Cal talk about it, but until she’d experienced it for herself, she hadn’t completely understood.

  Now she did. She understood completely. In the same way she loved him completely. Although, she wasn’t ready to admit that out loud. Not just yet. They’d only just met. Their romance was so new.

  All just excuses for what you know in your heart, her bear told her.

  Sliding her hands under his sweater, she pushed it up over his head and put it down on the blanket. Next went his T-shirt. And her sweater… Doran wanted her naked just as much as she wanted her mate naked and lying on the picnic blanket.

  As the fire burned down, casting a ruddy glow over their skin, Fleur and Doran explored each other’s bodies. Tonight they had all the time in the world. Their future was unwritten and there was no pressure to move fast. They were just two people alone on the mountain.

  Doran unclasped her bra after some fumbling. “This undergarment is new to me.”

  “You can get all the practice you want in taking it off,” she teased as she lay down on the blanket, naked except for her panties.

  “Thank you.” He grinned, the light from the fire glinting off his teeth, making him look otherworldly. Fleur reached out and stroked his cheek before lifting her head and kissing him as he guided himself into her.

  She gasped as he penetrated her, his hips thrusting forward, filling her, stretching her. The friction between their bodies was incredibly intense. Her nerve endings were on fire, and each touch of his fingers or kiss of his lips increased the fever burning inside her.

  Doran increase the momentum of his thrusts, pulling out of her before lunging forward, until he’d filled her completely. With her inner walls stretched around him, he stopped, his breathing rapid as he lay still inside her. Her breathing came fast, as her muscles strained, but the tension in her body grew until she could barely hold herself together.

  Doran cupped her breast in his hand and lowered his head as his tongue darted out and flicked over her nipple. Her inner muscles tensed involuntarily, tightening around him, and he groaned before he began to move once more.

  In and out, their bodies moving in the same rhythm as they raced together toward the climax just as a dragon and his mate raced across the night sky. As she came, Fleur felt as if a little of his magic
had rubbed off on her. She was from another time, another world.

  Or maybe they were out of time. A dragon and his mate reaching their climax together, swept away on wave after wave of pleasure.

  As her orgasm passed and her breathing slowed to normal, she lay in Doran’s arms and stared at the fire. “This is perfect. This moment, right now.”

  “It is.” He pulled her closer to him. “I wish I could promise you every moment in our lives will be perfect. But I can’t.”

  Fleur turned around to face Doran. “You don’t have to promise me that. Life would be boring if there weren’t any ups and downs.” She took hold of his hand and kissed the back of it. “All you have to promise me is that you will be there with me through the good and the bad.”

  “That I can promise you, Fleur. I’m not going anywhere. Ever.” He kissed her and held her close, his body warming her more than the fire on her back. As she drifted off to sleep, she knew she was loved and cherished.

  She was also eternally grateful to Yolanda for making sure Woodacre remained in the family so that Doran remained safe as the centuries passed. Maybe one day they might know the full story of what happened to Yolanda and Edric.

  Whatever had happened after Edric cast Ancient Slumber on Doran, it was in the past and could not be changed. It was time to focus on their future, on their relationship, her career and Doran’s farm. And in couple of years or so, it would be time to bring a new baby dragon into the world.

  Epilogue

  “To new beginnings!” Joe lifted his glass of homemade rhubarb wine and the rest of the people gathered around the newly built timber barn did the same.

  “To new beginnings.” Fleur raised her glass and drank but the warmth that spread through her body wasn’t because of the rhubarb wine. It was stronger than any wine ever brewed and deeper than any ocean.

  “I hope those are tears of happiness,” Doran whispered in her ear.

  “They are,” she reassured him. “I’m so very happy and so very grateful.”

  “We all have a lot to be grateful for,” Tansy said, putting her arm around her daughter’s shoulders. “A healthy new baby in the family and Mr. Preston in remission.”

  “And the farm Dad always wanted,” Jax added.

  “Now, if we could just find you a mate, it would be perfect,” Fleur told her little brother.

  “And Davy.” Jax nodded toward their brother who had arrived home from backpacking around the world a couple of days ago. “If ever a man needed a mate, that man does.”

  Fleur giggled and nearly choked on her wine. “Are you going to help him find his mate? After all, you know all the girls in town, and the next town, and the next town.”

  “I can’t help it if women are attracted to my boyish charm.” Jax moved closer to Ronni who was cradling the baby in her arms. “But this little one has won my heart. No one else stands a chance. Isn’t that right, little Rosemary?”

  “I hear you’ve promised to take on all the babysitting duties,” Fleur teased.

  “He’ll have to fight me for them.” Tansy leaned in and kissed the small baby on the head. “Not that your momma bear wants to part with you ever.”

  “Oh, I don’t know, she was up at three this morning. A few more nights like that and I’ll be begging you to take her so we can get some sleep.” Ronni smiled down on her young daughter, her expression one of pure love.

  Doran wrapped his arm around Fleur’s waist. “Let’s go talk to your dad.”

  Joe was deep in conversation with Mr. Preston and Edith, and Fleur’s heart surged with love and relief to see her boss looking so healthy. The color had returned to his cheeks, along with a sparkle in his eyes.

  They twinkle like little stars when he looks at Edith, her bear commented.

  They certainly do. If ever two people were made for each other. It’s just a pity they met so late in life.

  But at least they met. And at least we are not cursed with the same fate.

  I’m hoping we are not cursed at all. I’m looking forward to a long and happy life with my farmer husband.

  “Doran. Fleur.” George beckoned to them. “Can I speak with you?”

  “Sure.” Fleur and Doran exchanged a confused glance before joining George on the edge of the gathering of family and friends.

  “I found something.” George’s cheeks flushed with excitement as he handed Doran a torn-up journal. “It’s Yolanda’s diary. I’ve marked the relevant page.”

  Doran’s hand shook as he took the book from George and opened it with great care. Fleur bit her bottom lip as she tried to stop herself from asking what George had found. Doran would tell her when he was ready.

  “Edric told Yolanda he was taking them away so they could build a better life. She refused to go because this was her home. When Edric suddenly had money to spare and I was missing, she forced him to tell her what happened. Edric admitted to putting me under the Ancient Slumber spell.”

  “He couldn’t lie to his mate,” Fleur murmured.

  “Yolanda refused to marry him and would only stay with him if he returned what didn’t belong to him and made sure I was safely hidden with my treasure.” He breathed deeply as his brow furrowed. “I hardly knew her.”

  “She was more honorable than Edric.” Fleur turned to George. “Thank you. We wondered what happened to make Yolanda keep the land within the family. Now we know.”

  “You are welcome. It’s been fascinating, digging through the old records.” His eyes twinkled as he added, “I’ve found a couple of leads on some other dragons, too.”

  “I hope you find them, George.” Fleur hugged him. “It’s exciting times.”

  “Very exciting. I’ll keep you updated on what we find. And the diary is for you to read. Most of it is about daily life. The people Yolanda talk about don’t mean anything to me, but they might be people you knew.”

  “Thank you, George,” Doran said solemnly.

  “And when you are ready, there are plenty of archives you can help sift through.” George walked away, leaving Doran and Fleur alone.

  “Are you okay?” Fleur asked Doran.

  He nodded. “It’s the past. That’s where it belongs for today. Let’s go and celebrate the future.”

  “Hey there, Doran. Fleur, you look incredible.” Joe leaned forward and kissed her before shaking Doran’s hand. “How is it going, partner?”

  “It is going well.” Doran nodded and then shot a sidelong glance at Fleur. “But there is one thing I need to ask you.”

  “Anything.” Joe grinned widely. “You can ask me anything. You’re not just my business partner, but you are soon to become one of the family.”

  “Yes. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” Doran straightened his shirt as he avoided Fleur’s questioning look. Her mate normally discussed everything with her, so she had no idea what Doran was about to ask.

  Don’t you? her bear asked.

  Do you? Fleur asked in return.

  Yes. He’s about to ask for your hand in marriage. Obviously.

  Fleur’s mouth fell open as Doran asked her dad that exact question. The one question she’d asked him not to ask.

  “Listen, Doran. I’ve seen the way you treat Fleur. I could not ask for a better mate for her. You have my blessing and you have Tansy’s blessing. But I learned a long time ago that my daughter knows what’s best for herself and most of us. She’s wearing your ring, so she already gave you her answer.” Joe grinned and hugged them both. “All I want is for my kids to be happy.”

  Doran nodded. “I just wanted to be sure. It was always tradition…before.”

  Fleur took his hand and pulled him away from the others. “I wish your mom was here to see us. I wish she could be there at the wedding.”

  “I do, too.” His breath shuddered in his body as he lifted his hand and stroked her hair back from her face. “But I know if she’s looking down, she’ll be happy for me. I might have lost my family to time, but I’ve found a wonderful family wh
o has welcomed me. Even if I am old-fashioned.”

  “Quirky. I’d say you were quirky.” She placed her hands on his chest. “And I like it. I like it a lot.”

  The ring on her finger caught her eye. She couldn’t wait to be married to this man. To share her life with him. There would be ups and downs, but no matter what each day would be filled with love.

  “I love you, Doran dragon shifter.” She stood on tiptoes and kissed his lips.

  As his arms tightened around her, he said, “I love you, too, Fleur, who pulled me out of the darkness of Ancient Slumber and back into the light. I owe you the world.”

  “I’ll settle for your everlasting love and devotion.” She giggled as he held her close. “And the first ripened strawberry off your first crop.”

  He frowned. “You ask a lot of a mighty dragon. But you already have the first two and the third…I guess it could be arranged.”

  “Come on, I want more wine. Because now that this part of our lives is complete, it’s time to plan the wedding. I want to put a ring on your finger so the whole world knows you are mine.” Fleur kissed his lips quickly, but as she pulled away, she wanted more.

  She’d always want more of Doran. So as the celebrations continued around them, she pulled his head down and kissed him, long and lingering, a kiss he would remember even if he slept for another six hundred years.

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