by Kira Nyte
Stop sign conversation has ended.
Alazar waited for a car to pass before turning onto the two-lane street that bled into Main Street. He held her hand, maneuvering the shifter in a fluid switch of gears. Ariah saw a few storefronts down the road, followed by the busy main thruway of Nocturne Falls. The fancy streetlights caught her attention momentarily. She smiled. The festive cobweb brackets added a very authentic touch to the celebratory town.
“You didn’t answer my other questions,” Ariah pointed out as the silence stretched.
“Nope. Don’t suppose I did, huh?” The humor had returned to his voice and the telltale grin on his wicked mouth conquered his frown. “The dragonstone is a piece of pure magic. It contains the blood of every single Keeper I’ve had, down to Mark. By bleeding into the stone, it creates a bond, a connection between dragon and Keeper. The stone is a means for the Keeper to communicate with the dragon at a distance. It also acts as a looking glass for me.”
Ariah rubbed her forehead as she processed this bit of information. “Okay, so if you look into it—”
“No. I don’t look into it. I see through it. When the box is open, I can see through the stone.” He lifted their entwined hands to her chin and gave her a playful pinch. “I saw you in the wee hours of the morning when Mark had you open the box.”
Ariah’s eyes widened. “That’s what he meant when he said it was time ‘he’ saw me. He was talking about you because he knew about this lifemate thing and all.”
“That’s what I got out of it.”
Alazar guided his car into an empty spot on a side road and cut the engine. Ariah kept the ache of his hand slipping away to herself, focusing on the throngs of people trolling the storefronts. She couldn’t get over the spirit of these tourists, most of whom were dressed up like witches and vampires, or wore eccentric Victorian gowns and impressive pirate garb.
Ariah glanced down at her flimsy black thumb-hole shirt, black tank top, and hooded sweatshirt jacket. Her jeans were fitted down to her ankles, worn and faded, and her black hiking-style boots were scuffed and untied.
At least I’ll fit in here. A Halloween costume of sorts.
She climbed out of the car before Alazar reached her side to help her, earning a narrow-eyed glower and scowl before the scowl melted into a smile. He crooked his arm after she closed the door. She gladly slipped her arm through his and sidled up close to his side. The car alarm engaged and Alazar led her toward a small shop with pink and purple striped awnings. A craggy tree branch poked out of the faux cracked brick façade, and red-eyed crows perched on it. The swinging stressed-wood sign creaked in a creepy wrought-iron bracket. Two black wrought-iron wall lights flickered in an unseen breeze and flanked a rickety wooden door that looked like it would turn into a pile of splinters if poked.
“Into the Woods,” Ariah read on the sign. She looked up at Alazar. “Keeping with the fairytale theme, are we?”
Alazar chuckled and pushed open the door. “This is a close-kept secret that locals flock to.”
Ariah followed Alazar into the dimly lit store. The door shut, closing them into a lobby that led to another wooden door. Ariah soaked in the atmosphere of the small enclosure. The walls looked as though they had been carved to form serpentine tree roots, knotted and twisted. A single dangling lantern cast drab yellow light over the lobby.
“I think the locals can keep their secret place.” Ariah leaned into Alazar, seeking his security.
“Wait, Ace.” He flicked up a latch lock and pushed the interior door open. Ariah’s jaw slackened as he led her into an open, two-story room with dazzling chandeliers and filled with the subtle aroma of wildflowers. Candles flickered in strategic placement on shelves piled with clothing. More items hung from the numerous racks. Shoes were on display toward the back of the store. Linen-lined tables displayed unique shirts and fancy bottoms. “Still want them to keep their secret?”
Ariah stepped up to a table and fingered the line of stones decorating a trendy tank top. She turned over the price tag and almost choked.
“Um, why don’t we check out something a little less extravagant?” Ariah’s cheeks burned. She stole one last look around the store and turned back to Alazar. A confused pinch marred his brow. Darn, didn’t he look cute. She swept her hand against her body, motioning to her outfit. “I’m pretty plain when it comes to my choice of clothing. One of those small-scale department stores will do.”
“Huh.” Instead of leading her from the store, Alazar drew her deeper into the luxury she could not afford. He pointed to an oversized plush chair. “I’m going to sit down and watch you peruse the clothes.”
“But—”
He tsked.
“Look. Browse. Try things on. Peek at a single price tag again, and I’ll buy everything in this store for you. Got it?”
Ariah stifled a gasp. She’d have to get used to this telepathy thing.
Alazar gave her bottom a playful pat. She jumped at the bold motion as Alazar settled in the chair. He waved her off.
“You’re impossible.”
“I’m giving you what you deserve.” Alazar’s smile dimmed and a flare of sincerity lit his eyes. “What you should have had all your life. Now go. Enjoy. And keep your money in your purse. Actually, better yet…” He held his hand out, wiggling his fingers. “Let me have it. I’ll give it back to Mark.”
Ariah scowled. “I can’t accept—”
“Ariah Callahan.”
“Full name basis, are we?” She laughed and shook her head, digging in her pocket for the bills her uncle had given her. “Here. Don’t lose it.”
Alazar lounged back in the chair, slipping the bills in the pocket of his jeans, and folded his arms behind his head. “I propose a challenge, since you don’t like wagers. I challenge you to put a dent in my wallet while in this store. Let’s see what damage your shopping can do.”
Ariah rolled out her shoulders, pulled her bag over her head, and tossed it at Alazar. The dragon caught it without a flinch.
“The bet is on.”
Chapter Nine
Had it been anyone else, Alazar would have walked out of the store. Thirty minutes was his limit in a clothing store. He’d accompanied Kaylae and Zareh shopping once and since swore off the activity.
An hour and a half later, he was as content as a child in its mother’s arms, basking in the borrowed excitement that ensconced Ariah. Into the Woods had acquired two more patrons, and he was happy to oblige his sweet lifemate’s requests to give her an honest opinion of the clothes she modeled for him.
Not exactly modeled, but to him, she was putting on a private fashion show. The comfort and ease she felt in his presence fed confidence to his dragon, among other things. However, he did notice there were certain items she would not let him see on her. Items that either dipped low in the front or showed too much of her arms or belly. One shirt she came out in hid nothing of her frail chest and prominent collarbones. Whether she noticed the flare of his frustration over the evidence of negligence to her health, she made sure after that to be careful with what he saw.
He stirred in a sea of turmoil, one that mixed anger with a fierce need to protect Ariah. Keeping his mouth sealed in the store was as hard as refraining from the desire to surprise Ariah inside the changing room and kiss her mad. Yeah, he wanted to kiss her, taste her, learn her like he would have years ago if the situation between the Firestorm and the Baroqueth were different.
Now he definitely understood why Zar and Kaylae spent as much time secreted away in their room as they did.
“I think this is the last one.”
The white peasant shirt embroidered with gold vines hid her delicate frame but gave her a sweet appearance he could see trapped beneath the results of hardship. It lightened her face and drew his attention to her gold-laced eyes. The shirt slipped off her shoulder a little, but otherwise, she was covered. Paired with the long black, slitted skirt and pointed pumps, the ensemble left him in danger of combusting.
“That’s a keeper, Keeper.” Alazar braced his elbows on his knees and nodded. “Definitely in the buy pile.”
Ariah made a circular motion with her finger around her face. “You look a little flushed.” She cut a pointed look to the huge pile of clothes on the table beside him. “This really isn’t necessary. Sure you’re okay with this?”
“Yep. Internal thermostat decided to conk out on me. Don’t be surprised if I start breathing sparks.”
“Oh.” Ariah’s brows cinched in a cute way, giving her an almost innocent look had her eyes not been cast with shadows. A faint kiss of rose touched her cheeks. “Yeah. Got it. Remind me to invest in a fire extinguisher.”
“Not happening. I never acquired a taste for chemical foam.”
Ariah laughed and disappeared back into the dressing room. Alazar pushed to his feet, snatched up Ariah’s bag, the stack of clothes, and headed to the checkout counter.
The owner of the store, a dainty pixie named Dalila, rounded the end of the counter in a graceful, dancing manner. Her brown eyes sparkled when she saw the pile waiting to be rung up.
“Is there anything else I can help you with, Alazar?”
“Building a new addition to my house to hang all of this stuff. There is one more outfit coming, but you can start with this,” Alazar said. Dalila giggled and began the task of folding the clothes and preparing the tags to run through her computer system. He’d be surprised if she finished by dinnertime.
“Alazar?”
He twisted around and smiled. Pandora, the queen of real estate in Nocturne Falls, hurried down the half-circle staircase. How she managed the narrow staircase in those heels without face-planting was beyond him.
Probably some witchy spell to stay vertical.
“I thought you and Kaylae had a date to torture Zar over granite or marble, dark wood or light.”
Pandora laughed and lifted an arm draped with trendy shirts. “I promised Kaley I’d pick these up for her while she was at school. Teenagers nowadays. Needing to feel cool to fit in.” Her green eyes shifted to the pile of clothes. A curious wrinkle crossed her forehead, disappearing under a lock of red hair. “I see you’re doing Zareh a favor, too, I suppose?”
Ariah emerged from the dressing room and came toward him. Her attention settled on Pandora. A faint ripple of tension pulsed off her when Pandora turned and graced her with a professional smile.
“Ah. I see.”
“You see?” Ariah licked her lips, throwing Alazar a questioning glance before holding out her hand. “Ariah Callahan.”
Pandora shook. “Pandora Williams.” She gave a small shrug, her smile brightening. “I sell real estate here in Nocturne Falls. So, are you new to town? I haven’t seen you around.” Alazar scoffed when Pandora winked at him. “I’m sure I would’ve heard something if Alazar was hanging with a lady friend.”
“Um, not everyone has a nose, or a snout, in my business,” Alazar said, concern rising in him as Ariah’s expression grew more curious. He laughed, waving a hand at Pandora. “Real estate equals know-all.”
“Benefit of interacting with society on the level I do.” Pandora eyed the pile of clothes Dalila had barely made a dent in. “I think it’s safe to say you’ve made Dalila a very happy business owner today.”
Dalila giggled, pausing in her folding long enough to flash them a smile. “I can count on most of you to make me happy.”
Alazar reached a hand out for Ariah. Ariah placed the remaining clothes she’d chosen over his arm and dangled the straps of her pumps from his fingers, then took her bag from his hand. He lost his smile, tossing the items on the mountain of purchases, and hooked his arm around her waist, tugging her to his side.
“That’s what I meant,” he murmured against her ear, giving her hip a gentle squeeze. Pandora’s shaped brow lifted when he straightened up. “Dalila, could you ring Pandora up? Don’t want to hold her up and leave her clients feeling abandoned. I don’t want to hear the whining all night long.”
“Oh, of course. Of course.”
Pandora gave Alazar a pat on the shoulder and handed her far shorter pile of purchases to Dalila. “Thanks, Al. You’re a doll.”
“You’re on edge. Why?”
Ariah’s gaze lingered on Pandora. At last, her shoulders settled, releasing the tension that rode them. “Not edgy.”
“Uhh, maybe I’m reading you wrong, but I doubt I am.”
Ariah shot him a stubborn look. “Aren’t we being…overconfident.”
Pandora laughed and hitched a thumb at Alazar. “That’s him to a T. Until Zareh has to swoop in and save him from a bad gamble.”
“Really, Pandora?” Alazar groused.
“Gamble? Is that so? Seems to be a running theme,” Ariah said. The tension returned, a hundred times over. “How often would that be?”
“Ace—”
Ariah whipped up a hand, silencing him. He groaned, begging that Dalila would stop stalling and send his darling friend on her way before she said something super damaging.
Pandora tapped a finger on her lower lip. “Well—”
“I gave it up about a month ago,” Alazar intervened.
Heck, his entire future balanced on this tenuous high-wire and he was already tripping over his feet. The way Ariah’s lips quirked to the side and her brows disappeared beneath the waves of bang that framed her face promised him a fight to earn her trust. Which was fine. Really, it was. Completely fine. Entirely okay.
Who am I fooling?
He wanted her trust now. He wanted that twist of her lips to reform into one of her bright smiles. He wanted the doubt in her gold-laced eyes to fade into the abyss of darkness.
Was it such a bad thing to want her to snuggle up against him and, well, maybe kiss him?
“Come to think of it, Bridget hasn’t seen you hanging around the pool tables in a while.” Pandora handed her credit card to Dalila and leaned a hip against the counter. “I guess passing time gets boring. Ivan does that wrestling gig and doesn’t need to do it for anything other than self-gratification. When you have an infinite lifespan, what’s a little gamble here and there, right?”
“Digging the hole deeper, Pandora,” Alazar warned through a tight-lipped grin.
“Don’t make it obvious, Poker Face,” Ariah said, then sighed. Alazar’s heart soared when she finally leaned into him. “Guess I can understand it from that perspective. Now I’ll know when he’s bored.”
Pandora took the bag Dalila handed over the counter, followed by her card and receipt, and flicked an index finger toward Alazar.
“I have a feeling he won’t be bored anymore. Have a nice day.”
Alazar exhaled the anxiety that had mounted with each second during the conversation between Ariah and Pandora. He had nothing to hide from her, but not even the fact they were lifemates could guarantee Ariah would accept him and stay with him. Eons ago, the bond between lifemates was seen as a sure and secure relationship. Times had changed, though, and now the choice was left up to the woman instead of the dragon.
He’d grovel if he had to. He’d dance around in a tutu if Ariah asked him to. He’d eat a bowl of—gulp—kale if it would earn her trust and her heart.
Alazar glanced down at Ariah. “Do you like kale?”
Ariah snorted, a hand flying up to her face. The gold shimmered in her eyes once more. “Excuse me?”
Alazar shifted on his feet and shrugged. “Kale. Do you like it?”
She giggled behind that hand, a sound so musical and airy that Alazar wanted to bottle it up and listen to it whenever they were apart. “That’s the poorest pick-up line I’ve heard.”
“You’ve already been picked up. So?”
“You’re serious?”
“I’m preparing myself.”
Ariah blinked before tilting her head and narrowing her eyes on him. “For what? A bunny war?” When he didn’t answer, she shook her head. “No. I don’t like kale. Then again, I’ve never had it cooked in a decent manner.”
Alazar’s relief swelled. He wouldn’t have to worry about facing the repulsive greens.
By the time Dalila finished ringing up and bagging Ariah’s new purchases, a sense of fulfillment settled in his chest. He paid with cash and tucked his wallet into his jeans, helping his little lifemate with her bags.
“Well, Ace.” He lifted his arms, each draped with two oversized paper bags. “You do lovely damage. Congratulations.”
Ariah tugged her lip between her teeth. “I think I went overboard. I don’t know what got into me. I shouldn’t have taken advantage of your offer, or accepted that challenge.”
“Nonsense. You earned every article of clothing in these bags. You won. So, since we’ve paid Dalila’s rent for the month, what would you like to do next? More shopping? Ice cream? Spinach and kale shake?”
Alazar held the doors open for Ariah. The bright sunlight nearly blinded him. Ariah went into a sneezing fit. She turned into him and curled her head against his chest as she sneezed a couple more times.
This was something Alazar could get used to.
Nope, already used to it. Want to keep it now.
“How about we get you a pair of sunglasses and I’ll take you to the park?” Alazar bowed his head, unable to refrain from kissing the top of her forehead, and added quietly, “I’ll show you what a real gargoyle looks like.”
* * *
Alazar despised the streaks of red, pinks, and purples in the sky, since they signaled the afternoon had gone by in a blink. After he purchased a swanky pair of sunglasses for his girl among other accessories, followed by milkshakes at the I Scream Shop, he led them to the park that split Main Street. The peak of dinner hours thinned the crowd of tourists who flocked around the gargoyle fountain. A few patrons sat in the numerous benches provided throughout the stretch of stunning green with splashes of colors from different flowers. Strategically planted trees had matured enough to provide umbrellas of shade against the fiery glow of the setting sun.
Ariah stared at the gargoyle statue in the center of the magnificent fountain. “I still don’t believe you.”