Romance: The Bad Boy Affair: A Second Chance Romance

by Veronica Cross

  Chapter Sixteen

  “We were just–”

  “You shouldn’t have brought him here,” the large man laughed, nodding toward Doran.

  “Why me?”

  Guinevere whipped around and hissed, “Stay quiet.”

  “Listen to her, if you know what’s good for you.”

  Guinevere could tell Doran wanted to ask what was going on. She could see the fear in his eyes. She wanted nothing more than to comfort him and tell him everything would be all right but she could not do that now. She knew the best option for them now, or at least for Doran, was for her to give in to whatever was demanded. But she had to come up with the terms up front.

  “What do you want?”

  “Careful, girl,” the man said coldly. He stepped to the side and she could see he had his eyes set on Doran. He was looking at Doran as if he were his next meal.

  “No! Please! Please leave him alone! Spare him!”

  She knew pleading loudly and crying out would be seen as weak but she could not help it. She would defend Doran to the very end, especially because he was in this fatally dangerous situation because of her. The large man laughed mirthlessly once more before exhaling smoke. She saw his eyes change and then he transformed back into a dragon.

  “WHAT THE–” Doran cried out but Guinevere quickly ran over to him and covered his mouth.

  She stood on her toes and whispered, “Run and hide. You will know when.”

  “How…”

  He stopped talking the second her transformation began. She returned to her dragon form and turned to face the trouble dragon in front of her. Even the way he looked now was horrible and frightening. He was large, steel gray, with a bony head. He looked like a sinister skeleton and she wondered how he came to be this way. But wondering would do nothing to save her and Doran’s lives.

  Guinevere roared loudly and the other dragon did the same, his much deeper and threatening than hers. She roared again and turned to face him. She stared him down, refusing to show the fear that coursed through her. She had to gather all her strength and courage if she was going to fight him. This was to defend Doran. He was innocent and she hated herself for bringing him here. It had all been a terrible mistake.

  She spread her wings and beat them down, moving slowly up off the ground. The other dragon did the same, roaring with each beat of his wings. She took in every detail about him to determine what his weak points were. She saw he had horns on his head and a few spikes on the rigid frill surrounding his face, but the most concerning thing was a huge and curved spike that looked like a blade at the tip of his tail. Guinevere had nothing like it but her two horns on her head were much bigger and stronger than his. She also had more agility than his bulky body and knew that was something that would definitely have to be used to her advantage. He beat his wings down and roared impatiently, smoke coming out from his nostrils.

  “Aren’t you a pretty dragon,” he taunted.

  Guinevere felt anger rush over her. She hated being belittled for how she looked. She roared angrily and soared upward, leaving the big dragon way below her. She quickly scanned over the earth to make sure Doran was nowhere in sight. She did not want to risk being too far from him if the troublesome dragon could easily grab him. She flipped around and then flew down like a torpedo, spinning quickly. She struck the big dragon’s back with her two horns and sent him flying down to the ground. He landed with a loud thud and roared angrily. She knew she’d just wounded his pride by getting the first hit, something that would only enrage him. That would make him all the more dangerous but at least this way he now knew she was more than just a “pretty dragon”.

  He beat his wings furiously and flew up to where she hovered, opening his mouth to expel a stream of fire. Guinevere’s agility allowed her to dodge the stream but she did feel the heat from it. She flipped around and breathed out her own fire, which he also managed to dodge. He flew back around and whipped his tail forward. Unfortunately, Guinevere did not fly down in time. She felt a gash open near one of her legs and she cried out in pain. Even that, however, was not enough to slow her down.

  She soared up into the sky and prepared to dive back down but it was only to throw the big dragon off. She sped down and flattened at the last minute, confounding him. It was just an instant but she took advantage of it and launched forward, biting into the first part of him she could make contact with. He roared out in pain and fury. She saw his tail swing around and she flew beneath him just in time. But he took the opportunity to return the bite. He clasped his strong jaw around her leg and with all his might, threw her. She slammed into one of the trees and it snapped under her weight.

  The big dragon breathed fire into the night sky. He had weakened her severely with that last throw and she feared not being able to save Doran. She whimpered and tried to force herself up, but she only collapsed down on the broken tree. The bark scraped against her scaled painfully. She looked around, trying to spot Doran even though she hoped he would not show himself. It was his only hope now.

  The big dragon flew in circles overhead, breathing fire stream after fire stream. Then he finally hovered over her with a sickeningly triumphant look in his eyes. She knew he had come down only to finish her off. Even though she could feel every ounce of energy seeping out of her body and he could leave her for dead, she also knew that would not be satisfying for a dragon like him. Her vision became cloudy and she struggled to breathe.

  The big dragon opened his mouth when, suddenly, a heavy roar was heard overhead. A dragon flew past her so quickly she could not make it out. It slammed straight into the big dragon and a burst of fire was seen. Yelps were heard. Everything was too much of a dark blur for Guinevere to figure out what was going on. Then she heard two sickening thuds as both dragons in front of her fell to the ground, lifeless.

  Guinevere’s eyes shut but she did not know for how long. She kept them shut until she felt some of her energy return, at least enough to stand and walk over to see what dragon had come to her rescue. She also needed to look for Doran, who still had not come out of hiding. She forced her eyes open and walked over slowly, first making out the lifeless figure of the terrible dragon she had fought. Then her eyes landed on the other lifeless figure.

  Wails escaped her mouth, pain unlike any other she had every felt taking over her body and mind. There, on the ground, she saw a large, white dragon she recognized all too well. The majestic creature, always strong, was now gone forever. The dragon had been reduced to a lifeless lump. She could not believe her eyes so she rushed over and, upon being closer to the body, collapsed beside the lifeless figure of her Elder.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Guinevere wailed into the night. She cried and cried. She placed her head upon the lifeless body of her Elder with her entire body shaking violently. This could not be real. This could not be happening in her life. She had just helped save her Elder’s life by acquiring everything needed for the treatments. Now it was her fault all of that had been for nothing. If she had not brought Doran to the forest, none of this would have happened. She cried harder, blaming herself entirely.

  Then she felt the touch of something small and warm. She gasped and turned to see Doran. He stood beside her, his hand on her body. She could see he was trying to comfort her even if he had no idea why she was crying so much. She looked at him. She stared him down but he did not flinch. He only continued to rest his hand on her and look at her the same way he always had ever since he started to develop feelings for her. It did not matter that she was a dragon and he had only just discovered the existence of her kind. It did not matter that a dragon fight had just broken out in front of him and his life had been endangered.

  Guinevere pressed her snout to her Elder’s neck before transforming back into a human. She turned to face Doran and immediately fell into his arms. Any thoughts she had vanished into the air. There was only the pain of losing her Elder and the comfort she sought in the arms of the man she loved. She wept into his ches
t until the sun rose above them. The entire time Doran remained strong and silent. He held her tight and stroked her hair. He placed soft kisses on the top of her head. She breathed in his scent and they eventually sat on the floor. She curled up on his, her back pressed to her Elder.

  When the sun finally shone brightly Guinevere knew it was time to stop crying and take care of her Elder’s body. She looked at Doran and implored him to return to town. It was not safe for him out here.

  “This can’t be the last time I ever see you,” he told her.

  “I hope it isn’t,” she answered.

  He took her hands in his and pressed a sweet kiss to each one before saying, “I will always keep your secret, Guinevere. You can trust me.”

  She nodded and leaned in to rest her head on his chest one last time before she had to leave. It was one last moment of comfort.

  “Please don’t forget about me. Don’t disappear like the other times.”

  “I can’t promise anything,” she told him unhappily.

  “Can you at least promise me you’ll try to come back to me?”

  Guinevere could see the hope in his eyes. He was holding onto it so tightly, almost as tightly as he had held her all those hours she'd cried through the night. "I promise," she whispered against his chest. Even if they could never be together, even if there was no future for them, she had to at least have a proper goodbye. But for now, she was far too distraught for that. She could hear his heart beating and it made her tremble. She pressed her lips to her chest, then to his cheek, and finally to his lips.

  “I love you,” he whispered.

  “I love you,” she responded.

  She watched as he took off running back toward the town. She knew the journey would take him much longer than it would take her but she had to return back to her new dwelling. The clan’s superior, the green dragon had to be informed of the death of her Elder. She soared up and flew over the trees until she reached her destination.

  Althaeda, who had decided to stay in the same den as them for a period of time, knew something was horribly wrong the moment she saw Guinevere.

  “Guinevere! What has happened? Tell me. Tell me everything!”

  “My Elder,” her voice cracked, “Is gone.”

  She broke down crying again. Althaeda led her inside the den at once, where Guinevere painstakingly recounted the events of the night, all through broken sobs. Althaeda listened silently the entire time. It was not until Guinevere finished speaking and her crying quieted just a bit that she finally said something.

  "I knew your Elder was going to your rescue. It was sensed that you were in trouble. But, Guinevere, it is not your fault. It is not Doran's fault. In fact, your Elder wanted me to tell you there is nothing wrong with who you fell in love with. I also have to tell you there is nothing wrong with what you did. Sometimes we need to do things even if they are dangerous or frightening. This was a risk worth taking."

  “But my Elder is dead because of it! How can I not blame myself? It was my foolish actions that led to something so terrible!”

  Althaeda shook her head and had Guinevere accompany her to a large lake near the dwelling grounds. She spoke softly and wisely until Guinevere came to understand that she did not need to blame herself for what had happened. Everything her Elder had ever done in life was to take care of her and make her happy. Once Althaeda had succeeded in calming her down, the two of them went to seek counsel with the superior dragon of the clan. They walked to his den where he was sitting on the ledge looking up at the sky. Guinevere recounted the events of the previous night to inform him that her elder had died.

  The green dragon gave his condolences before telling her, “Your Elder came to see me before going out to rescue you.”

  Guinevere felt her chest tighten. She had to hold back the cry threatening to rip from her throat. Had her Elder known all along what the outcome would be?

  “Your Elder left me with parting words. I know you need to hear them, especially those that were specifically requested to be relayed to you.”

  “My Elder asked you to speak to me? What was said?”

  "It is my duty to keep her safe and give her happiness. Please tell her all I want is for her to be happy however that may be." The green dragon paused and then added, "So now I tell you to heed those words. It is your duty to fulfill such a wish. If you truly want to pay your respects, that is ultimately the best way to do so."

  Guinevere bowed her head and cried quietly. Everything in her hurt, physically and emotionally. She was completely overcome with emotion. Her Elder had known what the outcome would be and it had not mattered one bit. Everything was about Guinevere and she knew she owed it to that magnificent life lost to pursue her happiness. She knew it was perfectly okay to go back to Doran and make her life with him as a human. Guinevere finally understood that there was no longer any reason for her to think their destiny was not one that intertwined. Nothing stood in the way of them sharing a life together.

  “Guinevere, please know you always have a home here,” the green dragon told her.

  She expressed her gratitude and waited in the den until her Elder’s body had been retrieved. The body was buried in the forest right behind the den and Guinevere stood by the grave for hours. She stood silently, looking up at the sky and remembering her life with the Elder. She wondered how she’d gotten so lucky to have such a wonderful dragon take her in and raise her. She bowed her head before the grave and flew back to the den, curling up in the corner for the final time. Althaeda stepped inside.

  “Will you be staying here?”

  "I'd like to, even if this is your home, Guinevere."

  “It is our home, Madam Althaeda. I believe it belongs to you more than it does to me.”

  The two of them said their goodbyes and Guinevere soared above the trees once night fell. She wanted to fly freely under the canopy of stars and the moonlight. She wanted to feel the wind flowing around her lithe body. She flapped her gossamer wings and saw the twinkle of the stars through them. She shut her eyes for periods of time and imagined her Elder flying silently beside her. She could almost feel the energy as if she truly were not flying through the night on her own.

  “Thank you,” she said before breathing out a stream of fire in her Elder’s honor. She blew a ring, something that had taken her very long to learn how to do.

  She flew and flew until it was time to go under the trees, careful to avoid the area where she knew there could be more of the trouble dragons. She broke into a run and relished every moment she had as a dragon before it was time to transform into a human. She felt her gossamer wings swirl around her and land on her skin as clothes, just as they always had. She ran at top speed until it was time to run with caution. She looked up at the sky and knew she would arrive at Doran's land just as the sun began to rise.

  “Perfect timing,” she muttered with a smile.

  When she saw the edge of town, she veered off to the side to run directly to his land. It was not until his large house, sprawling fields, and small cottage came into view that she slowed down. She was not sure where to go. What would she even say to him? She took a deep breath and took off running. Those decisions would come to her in due time. Her legs took her directly to the cottage. She placed her hand flat on the wooden door and shut her eyes. It felt like this truly could be a second home.

  “Elder, you’ve always known what was best for me,” she whispered as a tear slid down her cheek.

  She jumped back when she heard a noise from within the cottage. Then her heart began to race. “That must mean Doran is inside,” she thought with anticipation. She curled her hand into a fist and knocked three times. The door swung open at once and she was pulled into his warm embrace.

  “You’re here,” he said in a broken voice.

  He cradled her head between his hands and she could see his eyes were tearing up. He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers over and over again.

  “I love you,” he said, “I love you. I
love you. I love you.”

  “I love you,” she told him before kissing him deeply.

  He held her tight in his arms as they continued to kiss. Warmth spread through her body and tears flowed freely from both of them. She had never felt joy like this in her life, despite all the pain of losing her Elder. She would not let that be in vain.

  “Please tell me you aren’t just here to say goodbye,” he said at long last.

  She shook her head and smiled, “I’m not.”

  “Guinevere,” he whispered.

  “I’m here to stay.”

  He beamed and she could see his beautiful eyes light up. He pulled her into his arms and they shared a long, tender kiss. He ran his thumb over her cheek and looked lovingly into her eyes.

  “You’re here to stay.”

  “Yes.”

  “Promise. Promise me you will never leave my side again.”

  Guinevere smiled and pressed her lips to his cheek before saying, “I promise.”

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  Taken by the Unknown

  A Sci-Fi Romance

  Danielle Weir

  Taken by the Unknown

  Copyright 2016 by Danielle Weir

  First electronic publication: July 2016

  All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal.

  NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to person, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.