by Zoe Chant
Now, dust was dancing in the air as he drew back a curtain. The balcony outside was covered in snow. Inside, the furniture was covered beneath sheets. Dara’s voice echoed eerily through the vast space.
His chest ached all of a sudden. It was empty. Too empty. This place should have been filled with life and laughter.
How could we let it come so far? his dragon whispered. We should take better care of what is ours… this is a jewel to show off, not something to hide.
Henrik swallowed. He’d had his reasons. At the time, he hadn’t seen any other way than to hide here with his pain. The solitude was the price he’d paid for what had happened.
But now that Dara had whirled into his life, all curious and bright-eyed as she explored, he could feel doubt well up in him.
Perhaps this place shouldn’t be locked away. Perhaps he did not need the loneliness. Why else would fate have sent his mate to him here?
“My parents died twenty years ago. It was… an accident.” Henrik swallowed heavily. “At the time, closing everything down seemed like the best idea.”
“I’m sorry,” Dara said quietly. Her hand touched his arm. “That must have been very hard for you. And this place must hold so many memories…”
For a moment, Dara was silent.
“I left home on a whim, you know,” she then continued. “My mom married again and moved to Europe. My best friend married and moved far away. And I was left behind in a place that suddenly no longer felt like a home. So I left, and decided to look for—I don’t even know. A childish dream. A real Christmas holiday, with snow and happy people and… kindness, I guess. I wanted to find a place where people cared about each other.”
“You’ve come to the right place,” Henrik said softly.
He couldn’t look away from Dara. The way she was looking at him stirred something inside his chest that he had thought long lost.
Did she feel this too? Would she be scared if he moved too fast? He didn’t want to scare her—but her words had woken the soul of his dragon, and his dragon wanted to claim her.
“Come, you can see the snow castle from here,” Henrik finally said, his voice a little rough.
He led Dara out onto the balcony. Long ago, it would have been decorated with tiny lights. People used to stand here with a glass in their hand and their arms around a loved one as they looked out on the castle’s grounds stretching out below them.
Now everything was silent. Instead of lights, icicles glistened in the slowly fading light of the evening sun.
Dara gasped as they stopped by the railing. This side of the castle faced away from the road that had once allowed visitors to travel here from the gate.
“See, I told you that in reality, it isn’t much of a castle,” Henrik said and nodded at the two large wings that surrounded the courtyard they looked down upon. “That’s mainly what remains from the original mansion. My father had those buildings enlarged when he came up with the idea of Snow Castle. There are some guest rooms, but mainly it was a venue for weddings and celebrations, and we’d had a restaurant down there, and—”
“There!” Dara interrupted, nearly bouncing on her feet as she pointed forward. “Oh, it really is a real snow castle!”
“Told you that this isn’t the real one.” There was all the pride of his dragon in Henrik’s voice as he stepped closer to Dara. “It hasn’t been maintained properly, of course—but that over there is the real snow castle. Two stories high, and all snow. There are rooms inside, and slides, and it isn’t cold in there at all. The children would play in there for hours. We’d have real battles with snowballs and pretend that this was a fort we were attacking.”
“And over there?” Dara asked. “Is that a maze?”
Henrik nodded. A small shiver ran through him as he looked at the entrance to the snow maze. He’d been avoiding it as much as the outside world…
“It was more popular with the adults. It’s much larger than it looks from here. You probably don’t want to explore it, it hasn’t been properly maintained in ages and you could quite possibly get lost for real.”
Dara shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. “No thanks. I think I’ve had enough of that for the day. Or the year.”
Gently, Henrik wrapped his arm around her. “Are you cold? Should we go back inside?” he murmured.
Dara turned in his arms. Her eyes were gleaming as she looked at him, her cheeks red from the cold. “I’m not feeling cold right now…”
Entranced, Henrik watched as snow began falling once more. A large snowflake landed on Dara’s nose, and with a small smile he reached out to brush it away with the pad of his thumb.
At the touch, another small jolt ran through him. Despite the heavy winter clothes, he could feel the heat of Dara’s body against him. Her lips were red, and as he watched, they parted slightly as she released a small sigh.
Daringly, he trailed his finger along her cheek, brushing away the snowflakes that kept falling. Against his fingers, her skin was hot and soft. She smelled a little like the gingerbread spices of the coffee.
Slowly, he leaned forward. Dara didn’t move back. Instead, she tilted her head, her eyes widening as their lips met.
Henrik kept her cheek cupped in his hand. The kiss was short and sweet, but even so it had awoken a fire in him he had never felt before. Her scent was overwhelming his senses. Everything in him yearned to gather her up in his arms once more and carry her back to his bedroom, his body hardening with aching need at the mere thought—but instead, he forced himself to gently release her.
“Sorry if I was moving too fast,” he said hoarsely. “I just…”
“No, that was… that was nice,” Dara said and blushed profusely. “No, I don’t mean nice, I mean… I’d like to do that again. A lot.”
“Oh, good,” Henrik said with relief. “I didn’t want to scare you, but—”
Dara gave him a small, teasing smile. “I wasn’t scared by a dragon. What else have you got that would scare me?”
Henrik pretended to think for a moment. Then, feeling more alive than he had in twenty long years, he scooped her up in his arms while she giggled and kicked her feet.
“Not scared yet!” she declared with a contagious laugh. “What else have you got?”
“I could… carry you down to show you the ball room,” Henrik said with an answering grin. Then he sobered a little and continued more quietly, “Or… we could go back to—”
“To your bedroom?” Dara was giving him a wide-eyed look. She’d blushed a little, as though surprised by her own courage, but she’d spoken the words firmly, her eyes wide and dark with an answering need.
Voicelessly, Henrik nodded. If he tried to explain what he felt for her, surely he’d mess it all up somehow. He hadn’t spoken to anyone in twenty years, except for his uncle.
“I’ve forgotten all my manners,” he said at last.
The wind was picking up, and Dara shivered and pressed herself closer.
“That’s okay,” Dara whispered. “You might be a dragon, but I’m not a princess. I’m a grown woman. I know what I want.”
Henrik’s lips lifted in an amused smile. To his dragon, she was already more precious than any princess in the world. “And you want—”
“Let’s go back,” Dara said, tilting her head to give him a look from those wide, brown eyes that sent a jolt of fire straight towards his groin.
He bent his head to kiss her again. This time, there was no gentleness in it. Her closeness had unleashed the fire of his dragon. This time, they both groaned, dizzy with want for each other as he explored her hot mouth, and his dragon roared with triumph.
Chapter Three: Dara
Dara couldn’t believe what was happening. It had been two years since she’d last had sex—and even then it had been disappointing.
Her date had been half drunk and had finished in minutes, and then he’d rolled over and fallen asleep. In the morning, he’d given her a surprised look, as though he couldn’t bel
ieve that she hadn’t left already.
Now, she found herself reclining on a giant, luxurious bed. Drapes made of what looked like velvet surrounded them. There was a fireplace, with a real fire flickering in it. A crystal chandelier filled the room with gentle light, while outside, the sinking sun painted the sky in stunning shades of orange and pink.
Of course, the most stunning sight was Henrik. Her dragon prince.
She didn’t even know if he was really a prince—but anyone who owned a castle like this had to be a prince. Any movie would cast him as a prince, too: he had broad shoulders and incredible pecs and abs, a square jaw and just a hint of stubble, blond hair just long enough that she could bury her hands in it and tousle it a little, and a generous mouth that knew how to make her sigh with a kiss alone.
After that last, disastrous dating experience, she’d told herself that she’d given up on strangers. She’d never been one for one-night stands anyway.
But with Henrik, everything was different. He made her want to throw caution to the wind. All of her life, she’d been so careful. She had her boring nine to five job, never took any risks, and always knew exactly where she’d be in one year’s time.
No more of that. She wanted to be selfish now. She wanted happiness for herself, the kind of companionship and loving family she’d dreamed of as a child.
And she wanted Henrik. More than anything else in the world, she wanted Henrik, against her, inside her—just hers, and hers alone.
She was already naked. He’d pulled off her clothes with hands that were gentle and patient, although she could feel the strength in them and see the desire in his eyes. Then he’d undressed as well, and there she could see the proof of his need for her.
He was hard, beautifully so. Naked, he was even more impressive—completely at ease in his skin and moving with such confidence that she felt her body grow weak at the display of overpowering masculinity.
Henrik was all hard, flexing muscles. His skin shone in the flickering light of the fire, and when he joined her on the bed at last, she sighed at how right it felt to have his hot skin pressed against her. She could barely keep her hands off him. She wanted to explore his powerful body, feel those hard muscles shift beneath her fingertips.
And it seemed that Henrik wanted the same; that the same urgency had taken hold of him as well.
Earlier, when he was carrying her back to his room, she’d told him she was on birth control, barely able to wait until they made it to a bed. Now, she moaned breathlessly as he slid against her.
One of his large hands curved around her breast. When he leaned down to kiss her skin, she gasped, tightening her fingers in his hair as his tongue licked a hot trail across her nipple.
A soft whimper escaped her as she arched against him, and he used that opportunity to suck her nipple into his mouth. She moaned, her hands trailing down his back, trembling at the tender rasp of his tongue.
Her need for him was overwhelming now. Even as she arched, she could feel another trickle of wetness escape her folds. Her body was throbbing with how much she wanted him. It was like a fever had come over her—but all she wanted was more of the heat every touch of his fingers kindled inside her.
When he looked up at last, he was breathless too. There was an answering heat in his eyes, and when he shifted, she could feel him against her thigh, hard as a rock.
Then he moved forward, and she could barely bite back a sound of need as she felt his large shaft parting her folds. The touch alone was enough to make desire surge through her. It burned hot enough that for a moment, she couldn’t breathe as she waited, trembling as her entire body ached for him.
And then he pushed inside her at last. She drew her hands down his back, gripping hard muscle. A soft moan escaped her, her eyes closing in bliss.
It felt incredible. He was larger than anyone she’d ever been with, but she was so wet for him that he slid inside easily, filling her completely. The sensation was overwhelming. His touch made her shiver, her body tightening around him while heat rushed through her. Every thrust he made stoked that fire further until she felt like she was burning up.
No one had ever made her feel like this. Before, it had felt like a dream—the storm, the castle, the dragon. She knew these things didn’t happen to people like her: ordinary, sensible people with ordinary, sensible lives.
But now all of that melted away. She was no longer intimidated by the chandeliers, the velvet, the fireplace.
There was only Henrik. Their bodies were moving together as if they were meant to be, and she allowed his powerful thrusts to carry her away. She was flying, higher and higher, her body straining against his. Her back arched in ecstasy as she muffled her moans against his shoulder—and then she felt his climax move through him.
His powerful body shuddered and he groaned her name. Deep inside her, she felt an answering heat ripple through her. Together with his release, her climax overcame her. It felt like flames licking at her skin as her entire body throbbed, her inner walls tightening around him. For one long, incredible moment, they were truly one, clutching at each other as ecstasy swept them away.
A while later, they were resting curled against each other, enjoying the afterglow. Henrik’s arm was wrapped protectively around her, and she could feel the steady beating of his heart against her chest.
“Wow,” she sighed finally. “I still feel like this is all just a dream.”
“That was better than any dream I’ve ever had,” he murmured into her hair. “You’re incredible. And gorgeous.”
“This has never happened to me before.” Dara laughed, filled with pure happiness. Even if this wouldn’t last, wasn’t this what she had wanted when she decided to break out of her boring routine?
This had been anything but boring. The real trouble was that she could grow used to this far too easily…
“You’re not leaving anything behind, you said?” he asked quietly. “Your family and friends all moved away?”
Dara nodded, feeling his lips brush her temple. “What I have… you’d probably think of it as a very boring life. I do bookkeeping: nine to five, sitting in the same office every day, staring at the same numbers. But… I always liked that, you know? It’s a small company, and while I don’t get to make the decisions, I made sure that everything worked. The boss always told me that I was magic—turning his chaos to order within hours every day. And I liked that. Everything had its place, and I made everything run smoothly. But when everyone I loved moved it away, it felt… empty. Somehow it lost its meaning, you know? I don’t feel that old satisfaction anymore at making things work, because—what for? There’s nothing to look forward to when I come home.”
Henrik was silent for a long moment. When he finally spoke, Dara could hear the pain in his voice.
“I know that feeling,” he whispered. “Believe me. I know it so well.”
Gently, she ran her hand up his bare arm. Beneath her fingers, she could feel the hardness of his muscles and the light scattering of his chest hair.
Henrik took a deep breath. “Dara, you told me your friend married a shifter. Do you know… about mates?”
Dara nodded, feeling her heart start to race. Would he tell her now, gently but firmly, that she was a lovely woman but that one day soon he’d find his true soulmate?
“Gus told Miranda that she’s his mate—and I could see it too,” she said slowly. “They’re so right for each other. And he’d do everything for her. He seems so goofy when he’s running around as a dog, playing with the children or drooling on a pillow—but the moment something threatens Miranda, you see that he’d give his life for her.”
Slowly, Henrik brushed back a strand of her hair. “That’s true. Finding your mate is… it’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before.”
Dara froze in his arms, staring at him with bated breath. Did he mean…?
“Dara, you’re my mate.” There was a hopeful light in Henrik’s eyes as he watched her. “I felt it—even before I saw you
. That was why I could feel your distress out there in the storm. And that’s probably also why you could make your way past the gate. Somehow, the land knew that you belonged here with me. And when I saw you… for twenty years I’ve locked myself away in here, but when I saw you, suddenly I wanted to experience life again. I want to see you smile. I want to see you dance in the snow. I want you to be my mate, Dara, and I want to make you happy.”
Dara found she couldn’t breathe. Something in her chest had expanded, filling her with warmth—as though her heart was suddenly too large, filled to the brim with feelings she’d feared she’d never experience.
“I felt it too,” she whispered back, allowing her fingers to travel up his strong arms. “I’ve never met a stranger and immediately felt so safe and at home. It’s just like Miranda explained it to me. It was hard to believe her—but I feel like I know you.” She allowed her smile to widen as she trailed a finger back down his chest. “Of course, it also helps that you’re incredibly good at this…”
“Ooh,” Henrik growled playfully, rolling them over so that he was on top of her once more. “Do I hear an invitation for another round?”
Dara giggled breathlessly, and then they had to postpone their conversation for a while as other needs took over, the fire flickering merrily, while outside, the first stars winked into existence.
***
An hour later, they were sitting in the large downstairs kitchen, freshly showered and wrapped in fluffy bathrobes with plates of mac and cheese in front of them.
“This is still all the family part of the castle,” Henrik was explaining as he gestured at this room and the large, adjoining dining room. “There are guest rooms here on the first floor as well—family guests, no tourists. On the second floor are the children’s rooms, and the third floor, as you’ve seen, holds suites for the adults. My dad put a lot of thought into the redesign. He wanted it to be perfect—designed both for the guests who came for a day of fun at the snow castle, while at the same time keeping our privacy. And it worked well: those two large wings you’ve seen aren’t connected to the family part of the castle. Even on the days when groups of children were running around outside, having snowball fights while the adults were sipping their eggnog, in here you had as much privacy as you wanted.”