Shadows and Stars

by Becca Fanning

  An image of a little girl with Ayra’s dark hair and Devon’s blue eyes flashed in front of me. But that wasn’t the best bit of the image. The best bit was the beautiful woman she was running towards with open arms. Zara would make a wonderful aunt.

  “Earth to Marcus?” Ayra waved her hand in front of my face.

  “Sorry, just daydreaming.”

  “You haven’t answered any of my other questions,” she pointed out.

  Ah, yes, I hadn’t. “Sorry, I got fixated on the most important one,” I answered.

  “Smooth, Marcus, very smooth.” Ayra didn’t seem in the least bit impressed and looked at me expectantly.

  I took a deep breath before answering the rest of her, quite frankly intrusive, questions. “I don’t know where we’re going to live, I think that’s more up to Zara than me. But hopefully somewhere we can visit often. We’re not mated. We’re halflings, you know we can’t mate…”

  “Obviously not true,” Ayra counted. “You guys were looking at each other in a way that screamed mated, Marc. If you’re not, then I’ll eat Devon’s Hawaiian shirt.”

  “You’d be better with a Hawaiian pizza,” Devon countered.

  “I’m not so sure. Pineapple on pizza is wrong on so many levels,” I interrupted.

  Ayra gave me a look.

  “Sorry,” I muttered. “Yes, she knows I’m a half-vampire…”

  “You’re a half-vampire?” Devon asked, surprise colouring his tone.

  “I’ve told you that,” Ayra replied. “Multiple times. Now shh.”

  “Sorry,” Devon muttered.

  “She’s makes me feel calm, Ayra. Like everything is right, and good. Like it doesn’t matter that I’m only half of what I should be.”

  “I’m glad,” she replied, leaning over and squeezing her husband’s hand. “You deserve that.”

  “Even if you kneed me in the balls that time?”

  “And aren’t you glad I did? If I hadn’t, then maybe we’d have dated and you’d have fallen madly in love with me. We’d never have met Devon and Zara if that’d happened.”

  “Huh. What an odd turn of events.”

  “You’re telling me,” Devon muttered. “You try having your fiancée telling you she has a completely different personality living in her body.”

  “You make it sound so dramatic.” Ayra rolled her eyes at me.

  “I hate to break it to you, but trying to make it so you and Tate could switch back before the egg came was pretty dramatic…”

  “On that note,” I interrupted, not wanting to be part of what I was sure would become a good-natured teasing match. “I’m going to bed. Good night.”

  TWELVE

  I SHOULDN’T HAVE COME to bed. There was no resting for my brain. All I could do was replay the events of the night and try to work out how I could have played things differently.

  Maybe if I hadn’t stormed off, then Zara wouldn’t have had to go with her father, and we’d be happily sleeping the night away right now.

  A scuffling outside my window grabbed my attention…my very confused attention. I didn’t know what could possibly be going on there.

  Slowly, I rose from the bed and padded over to the window, slightly nervous and pretty much hoping I could scare people off with just my fangs.

  A pair of hands latched over the sill, accompanied by a grunt. I was starting to think I should have maybe closed the damn thing. Too late for that though.

  “Zara?” I asked, surprised to recognise my little dragon climbing into my room.

  “Hi, Marcus.” She grinned at me, straightening herself out and dusting off the dress she was wearing. I was pretty sure it was the same one she’d worn on our date, but I couldn’t be trusted in the slightly delirious state I was in.

  “Wouldn’t it have been easier to just fly up?” I asked. I’d seen her in dragon form now anyway, so there was no reason for her not to.

  “It would, but if I’d flown up, then I wouldn’t have been able to show you what else I wore on our date.”

  She grabbed the hem of her dress, and whipped it over her head, leaving her standing in front of me in what was quite possibly the sexiest lingerie I’d ever seen. She was even wearing stockings.

  It was a good job I wasn’t wearing jeans anymore.

  An odd growl escaped my throat as I closed the gap between us. With one hand, I dragged her closer, pressing our bodies against one another as I crushed my lips to hers.

  She kissed me back just as hungrily and I began to move her towards the bed. There was no use prolonging what was to come.

  I lowered Zara down gently, leaning her back into the soft mattress. Her legs fell apart and I nestled myself between them, almost disappointed we were both still wearing clothes. Saying that, the anticipation was definitely going to make this all the better.

  “We should probably talk first,” I said after breaking our kiss. I didn’t really want to talk first. I was a man after all.

  “No, Marcus. Talk later.” She moaned slightly.

  “Are you sure? We have a lot we should be…”

  “Later, Marcus.”

  “But-”

  “No buts,” I replied.

  She looked up at me, a question lingering in her eyes. "Will your base urges come out?" she asked, biting her lower lip.

  I leaned forward and kissed her softly. "Base urges?" I raised my eyebrows.

  It was probably a little mean of me, I was well aware of what she meant. I just wanted to hear her say it.

  "Erm, you know...bitey, bitey, drink all the blood?" She was unsure of herself. I could see it in her eyes.

  "Bitey bitey?" I repeated.

  "You know what I mean."

  I kissed her again. "Yes, Zara, I'll probably bite you. But drinking all your blood would probably be counterproductive for me. I want to wake up with a girlfriend in the morning. And not a creepy dead one like serial killers want."

  She laughed a little. “Good to know. Now will you kiss me again?”

  “No freaking out at the word girlfriend?” I asked, genuinely surprised.

  “No. But can we talk about that tomorrow, I’d rather we talked then.”

  Instead of answering her, I gave her lip a nip. Her back arched upwards, pressing her body against mine.

  It didn’t take long for the two of us to slip into heaven. Or whatever place it was that’d let halflings in. But it existed. I finally found it and it was here with Zara. A low rumble moved through my chest and I briefly wondered what it was. Was I… Purring?

  I looked at the sleeping figure to my side and held back a snort. No such thing. Zara was just snoring. How adorable and unexpected that such a small figure could make so much noise. But I didn’t really mind.

  It was quite nice to listen to. Almost… Soothing.

  Okay, that was a lie. It was like sleeping next to a thundering truck. But a truck you couldn’t ignore or miss. And right now, being reminded with every breath she took that she was here, that she was mine? That was the best kind of truck.

  I curled my arm around her and pressed a soft kiss on her forehead. I didn’t know what got into her that she suddenly showed up, but I didn’t care. She was here and that was all that mattered. And she agreed to be my girlfriend too, even if I kind of slyly snuck that in. Just like I snuck something else in.

  Hah. Now that was a good pun. Marc points for me.

  Zara growled in her sleep and hugged me tighter, almost as if she couldn’t be close enough to me. I agreed. Happily, I stroked her shoulder and for the first time, didn’t mind closing my eyes. Because this time, I wasn’t dreading what I would see when I opened my eyes.

  THIRTEEN

  SUNLIGHT PRICKLED my eyelids and I groaned, tossing around and pulling the pillow over my head. I told Ayra time and time again that she needed curtains in her guest room but I swore, at this point, she forgot them on purpose.

  Some bullshit about the lovely and beautiful morning. Well, fuck the morning.

  I gl
anced at my watch and tugged the blankets up to my chin. Fuck the noon, more realistically. But really, anything before two was too early in my book. I wondered what Zara thought about early birds.

  Fuck. Zara?

  Pathetically, I flailed my arms around a bit, confused that I didn’t feel another body in bed. I turned around and stared at a beautiful, empty spot.

  Greattttt.

  I scared her off with my girlfriend talk. I must have. Maybe she sensed my clingy thoughts and made a run for it. Could dragons read minds? I had no idea, actually. I should ask Ayra.

  Or think it very loudly.

  Ayra, can you hear me?

  I heard proverbial crickets and was assured that my thoughts were indeed my own. And this bed too. No Zara…

  Angered, I threw her pillow away and heard the crackling of paper. Huh. Curious, I snooped around on her side of the bed and found a little folded note fluttering to the floor. Oops, she must’ve left that on her pillow.

  Something came up, will explain later. Meet me at Dragon Soul. 8PM. - Zara

  Thank fuck for that. She didn’t just run away, she just had something important to do. But most importantly, she wanted to see me again. Oof.

  Calm down, Marc. She’s not leaving you. She wants you around still.

  I grabbed my boxers and fished Devon’s shirt from the floor. Yeah, no way was I wearing that monstrosity again. As if it was contagious and would sprout other orange flowers on any of my clothes, I kicked it under the bed. It would be best for all the males in Ayra’s life that this shirt never saw the light of day.

  As always, Ayra fussed a little over me as I came downstairs. Her mother instincts were really kicking in and she would make an amazing parent, I had no doubts. I just wished she practiced on someone else besides me. Maybe a real child?

  I understood that Devon had a little niece, so maybe she could go play doting aunt over her later. Yeah, that was a good idea. I should ask him if he’d take my crazy but loving friend.

  Without even hiding it, I counted down the hours all the way up to seven, driving both Ayra and Devon crazy in the process. In the end, they left me under the ruse of wanting to see their egg. Ayra probably wanted to actually see it, but Devon had never left the house so fast.

  I tossed him his car keys and thanked him for letting me borrow it. He smiled and patted me on the back, just like he always did when someone complimented or thanked him. He was notoriously bad with accepting gratitude, but that just made him genuinely humble.

  Yeah, he was a good man. Ayra really lucked out with him and I was glad for them both. They deserved each other, in the best way possible.

  “Are you sure you will be okay on your own?” Ayra asked, fixing my jacket. I laughed and shrugged her off.

  “Yes, Ayra, I’m a grown man. I can take care of myself,” I smiled affectionately, almost jealous of their unborn child. That kid would grow up so lucky with two amazing parents.

  “You sure you don’t want to keep the car? Devon, give him the keys.”

  Quickly, I held up my hands. “No, no. I can take the bus. Please, you need the car to drive to your cabin.”

  “Are you sure? We don’t mind hopping on a bus!”

  “I am sure. Now go.”

  “But—”

  “Only an hour until I can see Zara,” I sighed dreamily, drawing a grimace on Devon’s face.

  “He’s doing it again. Let’s go, Ayra,” he murmured, hiding behind his wife and tugging on her arm.

  “Right… I’ll talk to you soon, Marcus!”

  “Yes, we will. Now go, shoo! Your egg is probably missing you.”

  Ayra’s eyes glazed over and she hummed wistfully. “You’re right, my baby needs me. Come on, Devon.”

  “Right behind you. Take care, Marcus.” He gave me a firm handshake and the two dragons practically ran out of their own house, just so Ayra and her baby-brain could live closer to the lake.

  “Right… Only fifty-nine minutes until I can see Zara,” I muttered, following the hands of the clock tick by torturously slow. This was insane, why was I counting down the minutes?

  I should just hop on the bus and make sure I got there on time. I didn’t want to keep my lady waiting. Oh, who was I kidding, I just wanted to see her as soon as I could. But hey, a gentleman was never late.

  And I was a gentleman. Although I did some very un-gentlemany things to her last night. And she had loved it.

  I inspected myself in the mirror by the door and ran my hand through my hair, hoping the gel would hold. I didn’t want to look like a tosser when I saw Zara.

  The metal doors to the secret dragon bar shrieked open and I was surprised to find a lot more people inside than last time. The slot machines in the corner were lighting up and dinging happily as a bunch of teenage girls gambled away their money. The tattoo guy was buzzing and etching a dragon in a girl’s arm. No surprise. Dragons were obsessed with themselves.

  How would I find Zara in here? Oh, the bar guy seemed to know her pretty well. Maybe he had seen her.

  I wormed through the group of aggressive looking punks and really, really hoped Zara was right about how tolerant and accepting everyone was. The one with the pink mohawk gave me a weird glare, and for a moment, I was sure I would find myself in another fight again.

  But then he shrugged and stepped to the side, letting me cross the floor safely all the way to the wooden bar. I waved at the bartender, Hec, but he didn’t see me and disappeared into the back. Damn it.

  I quickly checked my watch, realising I was well ahead of time. Zara probably wouldn’t show up for another twenty minutes. Guessed I would just hang in a dragon bar all by myself then…

  “What can I get you?”

  Ready to tell the bartender that I wasn’t ordering yet, I turned around and stared at…

  “Zara? What are you doing here?”

  Her dark eyes shimmered happily as she wiped the spot in front of me. “I work here.”

  “You do? You didn’t mention that last time?”

  She chuckled and held up an empty pint glass questioningly. I nodded, not one to refuse a drink, and studied her curiously. Had she mentioned this was her job and I missed it?

  “I didn’t work here last time we visited.”

  “That was yesterday…” I frowned, the cogs ticking in my head. What was she playing at?

  “Exactly! I started today!”

  “Right… Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked, hoping I didn’t sound too clingy or controlling. But I just wanted to know what was going on in her life. I wanted to be a person she could tell everything to.

  “I only got the call this morning and you were sleeping so soundly. I figured it would be better to just show you now!”

  “Okay… That’s awesome, I think?”

  “It is!”

  “Right… We still need to talk, Zara,” I said, a little more serious. She managed to distract me last night, but that didn’t mean there weren’t still important things to sort out. Like Léon. Or her father. Or us. But this time, we were in a public place so she couldn’t distract me with sexy lingerie.

  An image of last night flashed through my head and I cursed, realising she didn’t even need to show it to distract me. The picture was engraved in my memory and I was sure it would turn me on everytime I recalled it.

  Damn it, Marc. Focus.

  “Zara… What happened when you went home?”

  “Hang on.” She waved to the other end of the bar where Hec reappeared and held up her hand. “Can I take a break?”

  “Sure thing! Just ten minutes though!”

  “Aye, aye, boss!” With a fire in her eyes that I hadn’t seen before, she tugged me from my barstool and into one of the rooms in the back.

  “You brought me here to fight?” I asked, staring at the boxing ring in confusion. Gods, this bar was a weird place.

  “No, but it’s nice and quiet here. The fight won’t start before midnight.”

  “Ooookay....” Dragons were n
utters. Complete nutters. But there was something endearing about them, although, it was very possible that I was biased by my personal experiences.

  “Okay, so let me recap. Dad dragged me home last night, practically screaming that I needed to mate with Léon.”

  “Right… And?”

  “Léon is actually a very sweet guy. He lost his real mate a couple of years back and was just looking for another shot at children. So Dad figured he’d just ship me off to France. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve always wanted to see Paris, but not like this.”

  I nodded, not quite sure where she was going with it. Well, she ended up in my bed, so it clearly ended in my favour.

  “Anyway, Dad just wanted the best for me. He told me this was the best shot I had for a normal life, so I told him to shove it. I called Hec, asking if they needed extra help with the tournament coming up and he said he’d ask the guys.”

  “And then you snuck out, climbed into my window, and did that thing with your tongue,” I finished her sentence, pulling her towards me with a Cheshire grin stretching across my face.

  “Exactly.”

  “Do you want to remind me how that went?” I growled.

  “Definitely. Tonight and every night,” she purred back.

  “Good. You’re mine, Zara. And I’m yours.”

  “Now and always,” she replied.

  Without wasting another second, I pressed my lips to hers and enjoyed the first kiss of the rest of my life.

  The End.

  * * *

  Continue the Dragon Soul Series with Torn Soul, find out more here:

  www.authorlauragreenwood.co.uk/p/arizona-laura.html

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  ABOUT THE AUTHORS

  Arizona and Laura are two European paranormal & contemporary romance authors, who sometimes write together, but often write apart. Between them, they have everything from LGBT to reverse harem, shifters to vampires, and even spies to bakers.