Being persecuted gets boring after a while.
The memories of his past life gave him pause to smile for the first time in months. If only he had some pesky villagers with pitchforks to harass. He would begin to feel like his old self.
Chapter Eighteen - Charlotte
“With Tara there, I didn’t like to ask you how you’ve been.”
Serena and Charlotte were walking in the forest. An excited Brandan running in front of them. It felt so good to be free. No studying, no part-time job. No dragon watching her. Although every once in a while she would feel a prickle in her neck and think it was him. Then realise it was only the breeze playing tricks with her imagination.
“I’m doing OK. I love my course.”
“You know that’s not what I meant,” Serena said gently.
“I know, but I’m not sure what I’m supposed to say. He’s not here. I don’t know whether he’ll ever be here. I go from wanting to see him so I can tell him it’ll all be OK if he only took a chance, to wanting to throttle him for being a jerk. I mean, this whole ‘bonded mates’ thing works for you and Connor; you are so happy. So why won’t he come here and let us be happy? Instead of being this chivalrous fool.”
“I haven’t seen Zoah for months, Charlotte. Last time Connor spoke to him, and that was a while ago, he got the impression Zoah was simply waiting for you to finish uni. Once you decide what you wanted to do with your life he'll see where he fits in. He didn’t want to push this onto your shoulders while you were still so unsure of what you want to do. You have ambition, and drive. Something I never had. Once I met Connor, all I wanted to do was settle down with him and have children. I couldn’t be happier. But do you think you would be happy with this life? Pregnant at eighteen has never been one of your ambitions.”
“I could make it work.”
“Charlotte. Be honest.”
“I am. I know I’m young. If you’d asked me when I was fifteen, I would have told you I never want to settle down and have kids. Not until I was in my thirties, at least. But it’s been over two years since he left. In that time, I’ve thought of nothing else. I weigh it up from every angle. I will never want another man. Ever since the day I realised what we were to each other, I’ve never looked at another man.”
“Don’t you date?”
“What’s the point? I would only upset any guy who fell for me. To be honest, they haven’t exactly been queuing up to ask me out. It might be after the third guy I turned down, all the others got the message. Or maybe I give out this vibe that says unavailable.”
“Do you feel it? Do you feel that bond with Zoah?” Serena asked. “Sometimes it’s like there’s something attached to my heart, tugging it towards Connor. If it was something visible, it would be strong and unbreakable like the silk of a spider’s web.”
Charlotte unconsciously rubbed her chest. “Yes. I feel it. I think it grows stronger when he’s near.”
“Yes,” Serena exclaimed. “Wait. How do you know that?”
“He comes to me sometimes. Not at first. But lately, he’s been round a lot. Sometimes near, often just close enough that my heart aches. A dull, empty ache. Surely, he feels it too. So what’s the point in us being apart?”
“He’ll come back when he’s ready.”
“That’s just it, Serena,” she said angrily. “Why does it have to be when he’s ready? What about me?”
“I don’t know, Charlotte. I really don’t. I’m sorry.” They had reached a stream that wound its way through the forest. They settled down to watch Brandan paddling in the shallows. “I can ask Connor if you want. Maybe he can track Zoah down.”
“No. I’m not going to beg him. Knowing Zoah, that’s what he wants. Then he’ll be able to spend the rest of his life making me feel as though he’s doing me a favour by being with me. I never want him to think that I can’t live without him.”
“Especially when that could be an eternal life when he gives you his heart stone.”
“Living forever with Zoah... Maybe the longer he stays away, the better,” Charlotte said, laughing. Then she buried her face in her hands and shook her head. “Why do I have to get the odd brother?”
“Because you’re the only one strong enough to tame him.”
“I don’t feel strong. I feel weak and pitiful.”
“One thing you need to find comfort in, Charlotte, is that you are fated to be together. The bond between you is there for a reason. Maybe your strength will temper his arrogance.”
“And what does he give me?”
“A lesson in patience.”
Charlotte laughed. “You’re right. Or to speak up for myself. This mess could have been avoided if I’d told him I knew about our bond the night before he left. Instead, I gave him no reason to stay.”
“Wet,” Brandan said, falling to his hands and knees in the shallows.
“Up you get,” Serena said, going to him.
Charlotte got up too. “Shall we skim stones, Brandan?”
He nodded eagerly and then screamed with joy as the stone flew out of her hand and bounced on the water. “Magic.”
“It’s the only magic I’ll ever be able to do,” she said.
“Are you going to have a go?” Serena found her son a smooth stone and crouched down to guide his hand. It plopped into the water, sending ripples out.
“Again,” Brandan shouted excitedly.
The three of them spent an hour at the stream. All around them birds sang, the water a calming accompaniment as it flowed over rocks worn smooth. Charlotte managed to forget all about Zoah. Since that night he had left, he had always been foremost in her mind. Here, surrounded by the love of her sister and Connor, she was home. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t here, because she wasn’t alone. The waiting didn’t seem quite so endless.
Chapter Nineteen - Zoah
He held his wings out to the sun, the updraft keeping him in the air with no effort on his part. When had he last turned dragon and flown in the daylight?
Here, surrounded by the high mountains, he had risked it. In the days since he arrived, he had felt himself returning to his more primitive ways. He had hunted in the forest, downing a big buck. With his talons, holding it down firmly, he had feasted on its raw flesh. The fresh blood dripping from his mouth, warm on his scales. Then he had flown to a river and splashed in it, like a bird taking a bath. He had tossed his head up in the air and watched the water droplets shimmer in a rainbow waterfall.
Still feeling safe in the deserted corner of the world, he had spread his wings out to dry in the sun. The warmth of it making him sleepy. He had dozed, a belly full of food and the sun on his back. Life was good, simple, and easy. He slept when he wanted, ate when he wanted. This was a freedom he had forgotten existed. Slowly the ghost of Charlotte faded. There was plenty of time for being her mate. For now, he was free and he planned to enjoy every minute of it.
The spectre of Samuel was fading too. At night, he searched for signs of him. Slowly he had begun to believe Tara had it wrong. The villain was dead after all.
Chapter Twenty - Charlotte
Charlotte put on the only dress she had that looked even remotely party-ish. Opening her closet, she pulled out a wrap that might set her outfit off and make it look better. It kind of worked, but did nothing to change her miserable face. She was already regretting agreeing to the party.
The next thing she practised was smiling. She didn't want it to look forced, but couldn't find enough happiness inside her for it to be natural.
"Charlotte, we need to go," Serena shouted from downstairs.
"Coming," she answered, poking her tongue out at her frowning face. "You can get through this."
Unsure if she believed herself, she left the room and went down to where the others were waiting. "You look radiant," she said, kissing Serena on the cheek.
Her sister blushed, and Connor put his hand on her arm and nodded. Serena looked up at him, eyes full of love and desire. "We were going to keep it
to ourselves, but we wanted to share the news with you. I'm pregnant."
Charlotte felt a rush of joy. "That is wonderful, Serena." She hugged her sister and then turned to Connor, wrapping her arms around his huge, toned body as best she could.
"Congratulations, Connor."
"Thank you, Charlotte."
"I didn't think you could... You know, the Moon Rite."
"We are just grateful it happened. We don't need to know how or why." Connor's smile widened. "It was fun trying anyway."
She giggled, holding her hands up to him. "OK. That I don't need to know." Charlotte felt lighter now; the smile on her lips was real. Her nephew was going to have a playmate after all.
"Come on. Let's have some fun. Although, no punch for me," Serena said.
"There's punch?" Charlotte asked, trying to keep her spirits up.
"Oh yes. The local bar has provided the alcohol and apparently, this punch is some kind of local tradition. I think you should go easy on it."
"I'm eighteen now."
"Exactly, only just old enough to legally drink. So don't go mad."
"You make a good mother, Serena," Charlotte kissed her sister on the cheek. "I mean it," she said, pulling away. "You have always been more of a mom than our real mother." Serena's maternal instinct had meant she had always sacrificed herself for Charlotte. "But at some time you have to let me go."
"I know, Charlotte." Serena looked at her wistfully. "I can't help worrying. I need to know you're safe."
"I am safe. But you have your family now. Your children are your priority. So come on, let me grow up." She held her hand out for Serena to hold, and together they left the house.
Charlotte didn't miss the look that passed between her sister and Connor. She began to wonder if Zoah had sworn them to watch over her, to make sure she behaved. It would be an odd thing for her sister to agree to. No doubt, Zoah could be very persuasive.
“I hope Brandan hasn’t made a nuisance of himself,” Serena said as they walked to the stronghold through the forest.
“That’s impossible. One thing that has brought all the dragons together is having a young one around. Even Dòmhnall shows affection towards him,” Connor said.
“I wonder if Dòmhnall will ever consummate the bond between him and Tara,” Charlotte mused.
“He is probably trying to decide if he wants to live his whole life with her. She is the only person I know who is not afraid to antagonise him. More than once I’ve thought he would kill her,” Serena said.
“One day he won’t be able to stand it. One way or another.”
“I’ve never thought about how she must feel. He’s nearly as bad as Zoah. Ignoring his mate.” Charlotte said. The stronghold loomed in front of them, lit up for the first time ever. “Wow. Did they install electric?”
“No, they installed magic. The coven created some spells to hold the sunlight for a few hours. I had a sneak peak when they set it up. It’s incredible. Like solar power, only the sunlight is released, no light bulbs included.”
“I love it,” said Charlotte, genuinely excited.
“They have all gone to so much trouble,” Serena said.
“But they don’t even know me.”
“You are part of Spellholm. Despite the way Dòmhnall behaves, the dragons are very special to them. It’s the only place in the world you can find them. Apart from wherever Zoah is. And one day you will be the mother of dragons,” Serena said.
Connor put his hand up and whispered confidentially to Charlotte, “Enjoy it. Serena does. They treat her like royalty. What they’ll do when they find out she has another dragon on the way, there is no telling. I think they’ll kick Dòmhnall off his wooden throne and crown Serena Queen of Dragons. At least she’ll be easier to deal with.”
Serena dug him in the ribs. “Don’t pretend you don't enjoy the attention too. He parades Brandan in front of them all. Just making sure they know how virile he is.”
“I never knew just how much you two fit in here. You socialise with the other inhabitants that much?”
“Oh yes. I know when you lived here with us before you went away to uni we were quite reclusive. But when I gave birth to Brandan, everyone came to visit and bless the baby.”
“Here we go,” Connor said. They walked across the drawbridge, which was lowered for the evening. Already there was a large group of people in the courtyard. Music could be heard and the smell of cooking meat assailed their senses. Connor practically started drooling, although Serena looked a little nauseous. “This baby is going to be a vegetarian,” she said, putting her hand to her stomach. “The smell of cooking meat makes my stomach churn.”
“A vegetarian dragon. That I would like to see,” said Charlotte. Then a crowd of well-wishers swept her away from Serena. People she didn’t know wished her happy birthday. After the tenth time of telling them her actual birthday was two weeks ago, she gave up and went along with it.
Somehow, a glass of punch was pressed into her hand and a toast was being made. She raised her glass when someone shouted, “Happy Birthday, Charlotte!”
“I find them a little bit much.”
Charlotte turned to see Tara standing by her side. “Tara. I’m glad I found you. I wanted to thank you for setting this up.”
“Well, technically, I found you,” she said, smiling wickedly. “But you are welcome. We spurned mates should stick together.”
“You’re the only one who understands what I’m going through.”
“At least yours isn’t ignoring what’s between you.”
Charlotte followed Tara's gaze. An uncomfortable Dòmhnall was standing amongst a group of beautiful women. “Who are they?”
“Witches. They’re drawn to him. Sometimes I think that’s what has happened to me. That I have it wrong and it’s only my magic that draws me to him.”
“Is that possible?” Charlotte asked, shocked. Did she have it wrong, too? Was Zoah avoiding her because she thought he was his mate, but really, he wasn’t? Did she simply have a crush on Zoah that had got out of hand and frightened him away?
“Not for you. Your dragon is moping around like a lovesick puppy. Mine is oblivious to me. Except when I anger him. The problem is, I find myself pushing him for any reaction. So often, we just end up arguing, but at least he knows I’m there when we fight.”
“I’m sorry.”
Tara shrugged. “It’s not your fault. Anyway. I have a gift for you. It’s in my room. Want to come see?”
“You didn’t have to.”
“I know. But I did.” Tara turned, weaving through the people milling around, swaying to the music and laughing.
Charlotte tried to follow. So many people stopped and spoke to her, wishing her happy birthday. By the time they finished bestowing gifts on her, she had lost sight of Tara. All she could do was head for the house. She had been here enough times to know where the entrance to the house was. But not enough to know where to find Tara’s room.
Once inside she looked for somewhere safe to put all the gifts she carried. First, she needed to ditch her glass. She took several large gulps of the punch, letting the warmth spread through her. It did more than that; it went to her head, giving her a light buzz. The punch was stronger than she thought; no wonder Serena had warned her about it.
With a light head, she went further into the house. At first there were other people walking the stone passageways. It was amazing so many people from Spellholm had come. They were looking to see what the dragons had been hiding all these years. She wondered if they were looking for dragon gold.
“Happy birthday.” A tall, slim, blonde woman thrust something into her hand. Her silver charm bracelet jingling everytime she moved, like fairy bells.
“Thank you. You didn’t have to.”
“It’s custom. It’s your birthday.”
“But I don’t know you.”
“We know you. Connor and Serena have told us all about you. About your ordeal.”
“Oh. Really?�
�
“Yes. You are brave. And the rumour is you are a dragon mate too. Like Serena. It is written in the ancient lore that often sisters are the mates of dragon brothers.”
“I didn’t know that.”
The tall silver lady was going to launch into a great long speech. She could tell: her lecturers at uni wore the same expression. To Charlotte, history was exciting and vibrant. However, sometimes her lecturers took all the colour and excitement out of it. The woman in front of her was about to do the same.
“Listen. I would love to stay and listen to you.” Liar. “But I’m supposed to be meeting Tara.”
“Oh. I am a friend of hers too. Shall I help you?”
“I can find her,” Charlotte said, trying not to smile. Tara had made a friend. She must have changed since she came to Spellholm.
“I think she went that way,” the silver lady said, pointing. “Oh, sorry. I have my bracelet caught on your hair.
“Ouch. That’s OK. Can you untangle it?”
“Yes. Give me a second. I’m so sorry, what a terrible impression I’ve made. Pulling your hair out like that.
“Don’t worry,” Charlotte said once she was free. She walked away quickly, going back to her search for Tara.
Behind her, the silver lady watched her go. On second thoughts, Tara probably fit in well here; they were all odd. She rubbed her head absently, wondering where Tara could have disappeared.
“Where can she be?” Charlotte asked, looking into another empty room. She had gone into the depths of the house and found no one. Then she figured Tara would most probably have a room upstairs. That's where she headed now, although she was surprised Tara hadn’t waited for her.
Opening the first door at the top of the stairs, she found a room filled with ancient scrolls and wooden chests. Dragon gold. She couldn’t resist going in and taking a look. Lifting the lid of the first chest, she was disappointed to find odd trinkets. Stuff that could only have sentimental value. Still, it was old, a collection of jumbled-up pieces from through the ages. She would ask Dòmhnall if she could come and look through it all.
Love of the Dragon: BBW Shifter Romance (Her Dragon's Bane Book 4) Page 6