by J. K Harper
“Dragons,” she snorted.
Preach!
Sabrina hugged Daelan as well and Donovan came to shake Marley’s hand. His expression softened immediately as he offered a finger to Deon, though, and he looked far less scary than he had before. Amazing what babies could do to even the grouchiest of shifters, really.
“And this must be the little heir,” Donovan said, snowflakes beginning to coat his shoulders and black hair.
“We should get inside,” Daelan said abruptly, slipping his arm around Marley’s shoulders and motioning to move into the house.
“You’re right. Dragons or not, no baby should catch a cold. Isn’t that right, honey?” Sabrina cooed, hiking her own baby dragon higher on her hip.
“Shall we, then?” Donovan queried, showing them into the mansion.
While Sabrina seemed either oblivious to the sharp friction in the air between the two Silvertip Alphas chatting lightly as they showed Daelan and Marley around the house, Marley couldn’t help but be very aware of it. The last time she’d seen Daelan so stressed was when they’d had their conversation at the Sunrise Diner the first night. Suddenly, it seemed like all the progress they’d made with Daelan opening up had been tossed out the window.
After the tour, the six of them settled in a comfortable den that seemed to double as a library. Then again, many rooms in the mansion seemed to hold that capacity. It was obvious that the Silvertips, at least Donovan’s side of the family, were big readers. Red velvet couches and a roaring fire in the fireplace completed the picture of domestic, luxurious bliss.
Though it was a bit too ostentatious for Marley, she couldn’t deny that the place was tastefully decorated and definitely fit for a dragon.
Maybe just not the dragon I know and love…
The thought hit her out of the blue. Love? That was a big word.
“Marley? Are you okay?” Sabrina asked, touching her arm lightly.
Marley hadn’t noticed, but she had stopped dead right in the middle of the den, reeling from the realization of what had gone through her head. She shook her head quickly, trying to clear the fog, and her eyes stopped on Daelan for a moment. He was considering her curiously, one brow cocked.
Though this evening was obviously not that comfortable for him, he seemed to forget about that immediately when faced with her discomfort. The worry he felt was so obvious.
“I’m fine! Don’t worry about it. Just had a bit of a brain freeze, I think,” Marley sputtered, accepting a cup of tea from Sabrina.
“If you say so,” Sabrina nodded softly.
As much as she came off as a bubbly person, Marley could tell that this was an intelligent, careful woman. She could expect nothing less from the mate of a dragon. To be honest, she was sort of intimidated by how put together Sabrina seemed. Even when surrounded by all of this glitz and glamour, she was dressed in jeans and a casual shirt, with her hair pulled back and a smile on her face.
I wish I could be this relaxed and easygoing, she thought.
Deon and Dante, Sabrina and Donovan’s boy, had been placed on a blanket with toys and books. They both seemed entirely enthralled by one another, which made sense. Neither had really had much contact with other shifter kids before, and definitely not with dragons.
They looked so similar, too. While Deon was a tiny bit older, he could have easily been Dante’s twin. Both with their dark hair and those strong facial features, evident even under the plush baby fat, were very clearly Silvertips. It was interesting how shifter genetics worked that way.
“I’ve been waiting for this visit,” Donovan said, tearing Marley from her musings.
“We both have,” Sabrina stressed, but she seemed to be genuinely happy for the company, while there seemed to be a rather different light behind Donovan’s considering gaze.
Sabrina walked to the chair Donovan was seated in and sat down on the armrest. Marley followed her lead, finding a spot next to Daelan on one of the couches, where she could keep an eye on the boys as well as engage in conversation.
“I’m happy to meet you guys. It’s all been sort of sudden, going from not knowing any of Deon’s paternal family, to now having several of you.”
Marley smiled and Sabrina met it with one of her own. Donovan simply nodded, while Daelan snaked his arm around her waist protectively. He squeezed maybe a tad bit too hard, obviously still on edge.
“There’s no doubt you should have been brought to the kin sooner,” Donovan said.
Daelan was about to say something, leaning forward sharply, but Marley clapped a hand on his thigh to stop him.
“I know we haven’t had the best start, but I hope Deon will be able to get to know his family on both sides now. As much as I want to do everything I can for my boy, I’m not a dragon…so that’s a very big hole that I need help filling.”
“You know I’ll be there for you every step of the way,” Daelan remarked.
“And don’t worry a bit. This whole dragon thing gets a lot easier to deal with when you start ignoring all of their mysticism and magic,” Sabrina said, scruffing her hand through Donovan’s hair.
Marley had to suppress a grin. Donovan Silvertip did not look like the kind of man anyone would dare muss up the hair of. But a mate could do whatever she wanted and still be in the right, it seemed.
“You and your child will have nothing to want for as a member of the Silvertips,” Donovan said. “Which is why we’re here tonight to begin with, isn’t it, Daelan?”
Sabrina looked immediately uncomfortable and Donovan’s expression seemed sterner than ever. Frowning, Marley turned to look at Daelan, who had gone pale in the face.
“What does he mean?” Marley asked tentatively.
It was obvious that Donovan had money, but it wasn’t like Daelan was in the poorhouse, either. In any case, none of it mattered to Marley. She’d been perfectly fine with Deon on her own salary, and would expect nothing from anyone. But the way Donovan was phrasing it made it sound almost like they were here to…take something from him?
The fact that Daelan looked like he had just swallowed a frog only made matters worse.
What the fuck’s going on here?
Chapter 10
Daelan
“Daelan?” Marley tried again, her expression falling.
He tossed a glare at Donovan, who brushed it off as if it had never happened. The man sipped on his brandy, a questioning look on his face that Daelan would have liked nothing better than to wipe off with a rolled up fist.
Breathe. Focus, he told himself, closing his eyes for a moment.
The dragonfire was roiling wildly in his stomach, his dragon agitated and alert now. The last thing he wanted was there to be any bit of doubt in Marley’s mind about why he had kept her with him. But how was he going to explain this?
Donovan wasn’t wrong. The reason for why he had to bring his mate and his heir to the Silvertip main bloodline Alpha was so he could receive what was rightfully set aside for him. But letting Marley think that it was just because of that…it was unthinkable.
But wasn’t that exactly why you brought her to Shifter Grove in the first place?
That seemed to act like a bucket of cold water on a bonfire, nearly extinguishing his flame.
“Shall you explain, or will I?” Donovan asked tersely.
Sabrina put her hand on his shoulder and Daelan could see the way she was gripping him tight, as if trying to will him to…to be what? Nicer to Daelan?
I brought this on myself.
“No, I will,” he said before Donovan could open his mouth again.
Turning toward Marley and taking her hands in his, Daelan could feel that he was shaking. But so was she.
“I think we need to give them a moment,” Sabrina whispered, receiving a shake of the head from Donovan.
“No. Whatever he tells her, I want to be sure it’s the truth.”
Daelan gritted his teeth. There may have been bad blood between their fathers, and Daelan hadn’t exactl
y been the most gracious family member so far, but that shit was uncalled for. He’d never hurt his mate, not intentionally. Donovan should understand at least that much.
“Marley, the truth is I had to bring you to Shifter Grove. The Silvertip family has a rule that every Alpha son of an offshoot of the main bloodline will receive a portion of the great hoard when he comes of age and is worthy. Worthiness…well, it requires a dragon to have found his mate and to have had his first heir.”
Marley’s expression dropped. When she yanked her hands out of Daelan’s grip, he felt like she’d practically slapped him in the face. Her cheeks were burning with a blush and she glanced at Sabrina and Donovan, and then at Deon and Dante, her mouth slightly open. It was like she couldn’t find the words to respond, and the fact that Sabrina looked so…uncomfortable for her definitely could not have helped.
“So you only brought me to Shifter Grove so you could get money? Is that what it is? This whole week has been a charade! I thought we had something real here, that you cared!”
“Marley, baby, I do! I won’t tell you that it didn’t start off selfishly, because it did, in part. But I haven’t told you a single lie. I did miss you, I did want you here, and when I realized you’d had our son, I couldn’t—“
“No, don’t you dare say another word,” Marley gasped, tears in her eyes.
She rose up, wiping at her face to brush away the tears. Without sparing another look at Sabrina or Donovan, she rushed to pick up Deon, almost dropping his plushy in the process.
“Marley! Let him explain,” Sabrina said, standing up at the same moment that Daelan did.
Donovan was the only one who remained seated, his expression softer now. Not that it meant much.
“I don’t want to hear another word from him,” Marley said, turning her back on them and practically running out of the den. “I just want to go home.”
The door slammed shut behind her and Daelan was left standing there, his heart thumping out of his chest, and his dragon in fits of despair within him. There was nothing quite as painful as disappointing one’s mate.
The word Mine echoed through his mind again, carrying a tint of bitterness to it now.
“You… You just fucking had to, didn’t you?” Daelan hissed, his pain and frustration with himself turning against Donovan in the blink of an eye.
“I didn’t do this, Daelan,” Donovan said evenly, his eyes as green as they’d ever been, the dragon nowhere in sight. “If you love her, you must make her understand. You should have before you came here. She has a right to feel hurt. As she has a right to know everything that being your mate entails.”
“But she doesn’t even know it, does she?” Sabrina asked softly, picking up a confused and sad looking Dante at the same time. “You haven’t even told her that you know she’s your mate, have you?”
Daelan felt his breath grow jagged in his chest. For a moment, he just wanted to keel over and hyperventilate, the pain that shot through him too intense to bear. But then, his dragon lashed out as well, bringing him back into the moment.
Marley…she must have touched the pendant, he thought, because for a second, he hadn’t only felt his own regret and sorrow, but hers as well.
And it had nearly floored him.
Without replying, he tore himself from the spot that he’d been rooted to and ran after Marley, leaving the rest of the Silvertips behind him.
What the fuck have I done?
* * *
Any attempt at talking to Marley during the drive home had been shut down hard and fast by her. She didn’t want to hear a word he had to say, and he couldn’t blame her. Instead of trying to force it on her when she was obviously emotionally raw, Daelan tried to take the higher road and give them both a moment to breathe.
A moment that in his mind could only last until they got back to the cabin. No way in hell was he willing to accept that this would be the end.
I’ll make her understand, he thought, sneaking glances at her as he maneuvered the car toward their secluded little home.
That was exactly how he’d begun to see that rustic, simple cabin. Home. A home he wanted to share with the woman he loved, to raise their child together and build a future with one another.
Marley had been waiting for him in the Camaro when he got out of Snarling Dragon Manor, and she hadn’t even met his gaze. She was so evidently hurt and pissed at him that every breath she took seemed to throw another curveball of guilt through Daelan. It was one of the most effective methods of torture he could think of – knowing that he’d hurt the one woman who could ever matter to him.
I can’t believe I didn’t tell her, he thought, baffled by how incredibly dense he’d been.
They’d had more than a week together, days and days of fun in the snow and long nights in one another’s arms. And though he didn’t have a doubt in his mind since the second she stepped off that plane with his kid in her arms that she was his mate, he hadn’t said a thing about it.
How could a dragon be such a damn idiot?
They were one turn away from the cabin when Daelan inhaled deeply and slouched back in his seat.
“Marley, you have to give me a chance to explain,” he started again.
“I don’t owe you anything. You showed up with your baby momma and kid, that’s enough for you, right? Now you can get your hoard or whatever the hell it is that you people call it and you don’t need me around for it. I want to get my stuff and I want you to drive me to the airport,” she said with a snarl.
Before he could vehemently object to that, their cabin came into view.
And in front of it was parked a beat up old truck, one of the rentals that the Hamilton boys had started giving out to hapless visitors who found them without a means of transportation in Shifter Grove.
“What the fuck?” Daelan muttered, feeling anger at another distraction being introduced into the equation boiling up inside him.
“Hank!” Marley gasped, recognition evident in her voice as she leaned forward excitedly.
A tall man was standing on their porch, his hands in his pockets and a glowering expression on his face. Daelan immediately hated the guy.
Who the fuck is Hank?
Chapter 11
Marley
“Oh my god, Hank, what are you doing here!?” Marley stuttered, practically leaping out of the Camaro with Deon in her arms.
She raced up the two steps to the porch and Hank pulled her into a quick, possessive embrace. It didn’t feel anywhere near as good as Daelan’s did, but that was not something she had time to think about at the moment.
“Who the hell are you?” Daelan growled, stomping up the stairs right after Marley.
The look on his face clearly told her that Daelan was not enjoying seeing her next to any other man, let alone being held by one. The realization didn’t make her brim with satisfaction like she may have expected. Instead, it shot a bitter jolt of pain through her, enough to make her step away from her station manager and boss.
“I’m Hank Callow. Who the hell are you?” Hank said, cocking a brow at Daelan.
His hand moved to slip protectively on Marley’s shoulder, but she took another step back before Hank could do that.
“This is Daelan Silvertip. He’s…well, he’s who I’ve been staying with. Deon’s dad. But why are you here, Hank?” Marley explained and asked quickly, trying to get the conversation in a direction that wouldn’t immediately end with a painful fight.
Painful for Hank, that was, because Marley could picture the outcome of any altercation way too clearly at the moment.
“You weren’t answering your phone, or more like I couldn’t even reach it. I got worried about you, Marley. So I tracked down your flights and the only town that was anywhere near was this one. I came here and there was a woman at the diner who recognized you by the picture and told me where I could find you.”
Hank and Daelan glowered at one another, even when Hank reached into his pocket to pull out a ratty-lookin
g picture of her and Hank together at a Christmas party. They were both wearing elves’ hats and making silly faces. The picture looked creased, like it had been folded and unfolded several times.
“She’s fine. But you better get out of here before you’re not,” Daelan snarled.
“No,” Marley said, shaking her head quickly. “Or, well, yes. He’s going somewhere all right, but I’m going with him. Please hold Deon.”
She gave the boy to Daelan, catching the dragon shifter off-guard. He had to unclench his fists and take the baby boy in his arms, who was looking between the two men with confusion.
Though the implications of why Hank was there were clear enough, Marley couldn’t spare a moment to think about them. All she wanted was the get out of Shifter Grove and away from Daelan, and this was her ticket to that.
Without another word, she barged into the house, making a beeline for her suitcase.
I won’t let him hurt me any longer, she thought, choking down the tears that threatened to trickle down her cheeks.
* * *
Despite Daelan’s railing protests, Marley had gathered her things, taken Deon and gotten into Hank’s truck. She hated doing it, especially when Deon broke into a hysterical fit the moment she took him from Daelan, as if he already realized that she was taking him away from his daddy.
“Look, I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” she’d said as Daelan had hovered next to the door, looking sad and angry and hurt all at the same time. “We’ll figure something out so you can see Deon. I won’t keep you from your son, but I can’t be around you.”
Even thinking about her own words and the way Daelan looked brought tears to her eyes again. Marley’d been way too busy wiping those away for the whole drive to the airport. Shielding her face from Slate’s inquisitive gaze, who Hank had called up for a rush flight to Idaho Falls, had been just as problematic.