by Terry Spear
“This is Myla, and she is the guardian of my treasure.”
“Can I see your wolf form?” Kayla asked eagerly, not bothering with niceties when she was too eager to see what Myla looked like as a wolf.
Myla smiled then as if amused Kayla would see her as a curiosity and not as one of the other wolf shifters probably saw her. When she shifted, she was just as beautiful, a gray and blond wolf with the same bright green eyes.
“Beautiful,” Kayla said. “Oh, I mean both ways, really.”
Myla shifted and smiled then with pleasure. Then she said to Alton, “Do you want me to give you some privacy? I can come back later.”
“No, actually, have you noticed where I’ve piled my treasure lately?”
Kayla thought it was an odd question, but Myla nodded. “I always check to see what has been added so that I know if anything has been disturbed. On the furthest mountain of treasure, you piled the items you received from your queen for rescuing the fae seer, Mark. On the one near the waterfall, you deposited some gold when you were practicing for the games. And when you had to save a young man from being taken into servitude on a ship sailing around the world, you deposited your earnings on top of the jewelry. You’ve been practicing for the games so much, that’s all you’ve been paid for recently.” Myla motioned to the mountains. “If you don’t get another job soon, you’re going to be broke after paying me and the other wolves for their guarding services.”
Alton smiled.
Kayla took it to mean that the wolf shifter was making a joke. This one didn’t have wings. As much as Kayla loved the way Myla appeared in her very real looking wolf form, she wanted to see one with wings also. But she thought it might be too impolite to ask. Then again, she only had this one chance to come here. “Do any of the winged wolf fae come up here?”
“You wish to see one?” Myla asked.
“If it wouldn’t be too much trouble.”
“I’ll get my friend Clarita, and be right back.” Myla glanced at Alton, making sure it was all right with him because she was supposed to be guarding his treasure.
“Yes, thanks, Myla, that would be great.”
When Myla disappeared, Kayla asked, “Do the winged fae guard for you too?”
“Sometimes. I never know how they work out the schedule. Myla tends to be here more than anyone else. She has a younger brother and sister she cares for, so she can use the money. Let’s go look for your lockets.”
“She was kidding, wasn’t she? About you running out of treasure soon?” Kayla looked at all the piles and thought it would take several lifetimes to spend all that much gold and other treasure. Although, as a golden fae, she couldn’t help but admire anything and everything that was made of gold.
Alton laughed. “Yes. They don’t believe in jewels or jewelry. Which makes them perfect for guarding the treasure. When I proposed bringing the treasure here in the first place, I thought I might have a lot of opposition. Fear that others would invade their territory, looking to steal the treasure. But they love guarding it and the money it brings in. And they haven’t really had too much trouble.” He climbed to the top of the pile and though some of the jewels and coins began to roll downhill, he managed to stay on top and began sifting through the coins. “Come on up.”
Kayla turned into a dragon and landed on top, then shifted. With her additional weight, more of the coins began to move down the pile. “What do you use in payment? Part of the treasure, right?”
“Yes. The treasure means nothing to them, but they use it to barter for goods they do need.”
That worried her. What if he had paid the wolves with her locket, and they had used it to barter with someone else?
“I’m not finding it,” she said, feeling panicked.
He kept showing her other lockets, but none that were the right one.
“What if you paid some of your guard wolves or even someone else from your treasure? Your staff? Your food bill? Something else?”
Alton paused, his brows furrowed. “I don’t think so.”
But he didn’t sound sure of it. “Would Myla know?”
“Would Myla know what?” the girl asked, walking into the cave with a winged wolf.
The wolf was white, her wings a shimmery pale mix of colors. “Oh, she’s beautiful,” Kayla said, forgetting for a moment all about her locket.
Myla laughed. “I’m sure he loves hearing you say so.”
The winged fae shifted and he was a fae without wings, blond-haired, blue eyes, smiling, even though Kayla had called him a beautiful girl.
“Where are your wings?” Kayla couldn’t believe he’d have them in his wolf form and not in his fae form.
They suddenly appeared and were just like the ones he wore as a wolf. “I’m old enough to hide them when I want. Myla said you wanted to see a winged wolf, so I obliged. But I can hide them on my wolf form also.”
“But you don’t have wings, do you, Myla?” Why else would she have had to get another wolf who had wings if that were the case?
“No. Clarita was busy. This is Trey.”
“Oh, yes, of course. That’s what had confused me.”
“What were you wondering if I’d known about?” Myla asked.
Alton went back to digging through the pile of treasure, a slight mist from the waterfall spilling into the cave but far enough from the treasure so as not to get it wet. “If I’d given a gold locket and one that was bronze in payment for any services lately.”
“You mean the ones you just deposited recently?”
“Yeah,” Alton said.
“Well, though things haven’t been disturbed, I meant that no one had stolen anything. As to paying folks, then yes, you’ve given us payment and to some others, I’m certain.”
Kayla described the lockets, but Myla shook her head. “I couldn’t be sure. I think most of us take gold or silver coins. And we normally wouldn’t take the treasure at the top of the mountain, but near the bottom where it’s easier to reach.”
“From which pile?” Alton asked, still searching for Kayla’s jewelry.
“Any of them,” Myla said.
Kayla hadn’t give up either, but she wasn’t so self-assured now that he’d have the lockets still. And she was irritated at Sigrid too. What if Alton had retrieved them sooner before too many others were digging in the piles of treasure for payment of services?
“Is it a family heirloom?” Myla asked, joining them to help.
“It’s something that is part of who we are when we’re first born. I’m a lavender grower. It’s tied into my ability to grow lavender fields. Once I come of age in a few days, the magic will be infused within me and whether I have the locket with me or not, I will still carry the magic with me.”
“So without it,” Myla said, “you will lose your ability?”
“Worse. I’ll be cast out from the golden fae society. The queen loves the lavender flowers for everything, a dye for her clothes even.”
“I can’t imagine anything so absurd. I mean, that they would cast you out for your inability to grow a flower.”
“You must have something you treasure,” Kayla said, trying to show how important it was to her.
“The forests, the lakes and rivers, the mountains. That’s what we care about. Many of us have tree farms and sell to those who are trying to landscape or reforest their lands.”
Kayla noticed that Trey was busy going through another pile of treasure, from the top. “This is the one where Myla said Alton dropped the treasure,” Kayla said to him.
“You think she is always here? I was here the one day, and I distinctly remember him dropping the treasure over here. On this pile,” Trey said.
Kayla was so hoping Trey was right. She shifted into a dragon, flew over to that pile, and landed on top, trying to avoid knocking him off, then shifted again.
“Your scales are the same as Alton’s now,” Trey said, smiling at her.
“Because of the locket,” she said. “Once I have mine and the bronze one, h
e should be back to normal.”
“Disappointing,” Myla said. “I like not knowing what color he’ll be when he shows up. Then I can growl at him until he shifts and proves he’s who he’s supposed to be.”
Kayla would have laughed, but she was too concerned that her locket was gone for good. She found several lockets here, but none that were either hers or Sigrid’s. Then Alton held up a locket and said, “I found yours! It smells of lavender. This has got to be it.”
Kayla transported to the pile and joined Alton. Thrilled beyond measure, she saw that it was hers. She couldn’t have been happier. “That’s it.” She reached for it, but he shook his head and instead, he placed it over her head. She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a big kiss. “Thank you. And thanks to both of you for looking for it also.”
“But you still need the other?” Myla asked, brow raised, a smile settling on her lips.
Kayla didn’t think she was smiling about the locket, but about Alton kissing her and vice versa.
“Yes. I can’t go home without it.” That was the problem. She had to find Sigrid’s too or she didn’t know what the falcon fae would do to her. Besides, she’d promised. And the fae must have had the same urgency to get hers back as Kayla did.
But as long as they searched, which was several hours, all on the same pile of treasure because Alton had found hers there, they found no sign of it. Kayla glanced at the waterfall cascading next to the other entrance of the cave and scrambled down to the bottom of the mountain of treasure, making the coins and carafes and such, slide down with her in a tinkling mass. Then she rushed over the stone floor to peer down into the waterfall.
“What if somehow it fell off the pile and landed down there?” She motioned to the crystal clear pool of water at the bottom of the falls, ferns tucked into rock crevices making it a beautiful little hideaway.
“I would think that would be impossible. There’s no gold anywhere near there,” Alton said, joining her.
“We’ve looked at several feet of the top layers of the treasure and not found it. Who have you paid for services recently?” Myla asked.
“I only take coins,” Trey said. “So does Myla. But Canton likes jewelry. I think he has a secret fae girlfriend who isn’t a wolf.”
“But everything goes through me,” Alton said.
“Right,” Myla said. “We’d never take anything from you. So he must have asked you for jewelry in the past when he was guarding.”
“And Simon?”
“I don’t know what he likes in payment,” Trey said. “I can go ask.”
“Please. We’ll go and see Canton. Then if nothing pans out, we’ll return home to see my butler and learn if he’s taken any jewelry for paying the staff or for supplies.” Alton rubbed Kayla’s arm. “We’ll find it.”
She sure hoped so because if they didn’t, she wasn’t sure what would happen next.
She was glad he wanted to transport because she was getting tired, flying as a dragon. But she wondered if he was worn out because of his injury. “Good idea.”
They transported to a path in the woods that led to a stone house and saw a black wolf, who shifted when he saw them. He was wearing black trousers and a black muscle shirt. Kayla thought he could be riding a human’s motorcycle and suit the part. But she couldn’t believe she was seeing all these wolves in different colors and how beautiful they were.
“I hear you’re looking for me,” he said, casting a glance in Kayla’s direction. “I’m Simon, by the way.”
“Yeah, I need to locate a locket I might have given someone that is important to the owner. Any help in locating it, or if I gave it in payment, I’ll generously pay something else instead,” Alton said.
“What did it look like?”
“It had the engraving of a falcon on it. Do you take payment in some form other than coin? I don’t always pay you; my assistant does. So I’m hoping if I’ve given it away, I can substitute something else for it.”
“I don’t recall anything like that. Is it gold? Silver?”
“Bronze,” Alton said.
“Not interested in bronze. It’s not as valuable. I’d check with Canton, if I were you.”
“All right. That’s where we were headed. Thanks, Simon.”
“You’re welcome. Is she your girlfriend?”
“Yeah.”
Simon smiled at her broadly. “Too bad I didn’t see her first.”
“Hey, later.” Alton rushed Kayla along to the house in the woods and Kayla wondered if Alton worried she might be interested in the wolf fae now. She did find them fascinating. But Alton even more so.
When they reached a stone cottage, they heard laughter inside.
“Maybe that’s his girlfriend with him,” Kayla whispered.
“Or not, if he’s trying to keep her secret.”
They made their way to the front doorstep and Alton knocked, calling out, “It’s me, Alton. I need to talk to you about a payment that was made on my behalf.”
A redheaded guy opened the door and looked from Alton to Kayla. “Yeah?”
“I’m looking for a falcon locket, bronze, that might have been used to pay someone who was guarding the treasure.”
Canton raised his hands in a gesture of can’t-help-you-there.
“I’ll make it worth your while if it was given to you, triple the payment. It just belongs to someone when it shouldn’t have been given away. It was my mistake.”
“Who says I might have it?”
“No one. My assistant might have taken it with some other treasure and used it to pay for merchandise, for all I know.”
“I…don’t know.”
“We understand you have a girlfriend who might like jewelry.”
“Wolves aren’t into jewelry,” Canton said slyly.
“We understand she’s not a wolf.”
“Alton’s a dragon shifter, Canton, not a wolf,” the girl said out of view, but she was getting closer as she walked down the hall to join them. “What difference does it make if he knows we’re seeing each other?”
Before Kayla even saw the girl, she knew her at once. Helena, the blue-eyed, blond who captured all the guys’ eyes, who she’d seen at the farmer’s market with two other guys. Now she had even captured the attention of a wolf?
Kayla quickly transported back to the woods before Helena saw her and wondered what she was doing wearing a dragon fae aura and chumming around with a dragon shifter at the same time.
13
Alton wasn’t sure why Kayla disappeared so all of a sudden, until he saw Canton’s girlfriend—a golden fae. He suspected Kayla knew who she was from the sound of her voice.
“So do you have a bronze falcon locket?” Alton asked, trying to keep the heat from his voice. He realized that though he cared a lot about Kayla, he still didn’t care for all the golden fae kind.
The girl slipped her arm around Canton’s waist. “I thought when a dragon fae paid for services, he wouldn’t be asking for the payment back.”
She was adorned in all gold. Alton didn’t believe she’d want anything that wasn’t gold and her boyfriend would know that.
“Thank you for your time,” Alton said to Canton, ignoring the girl. “If you hear of anyone who might have received the locket in payment, let me know and I’ll make it worth your while and pay whoever has it also.”
“Sure thing.” Canton was sincere sounding. He worked for him, so Alton was certain he’d get in touch with him right away if he did discover who had it.
“So Canton can give me more gold,” the girl said, tightening her hold on Canton.
Alton had thought Canton was more alpha than that. He wondered if he’d made a mistake in allowing him to stand guard over his treasure. “I’ve got to go. See you later.”
“Good luck,” Canton said.
Alton headed outside and shut the door behind him. He didn’t see Kayla anywhere. He hurried into the woods, hoping she’d be around here somewhere, just staying out of sight a
nd waiting for him.
Then he saw a wolf appear nearby, a black wolf. Simon shifted. “She told me to tell you she returned to your castle to ask your personal assistant if he paid anyone with the locket.”
“Thanks. I’m headed that way then. If anyone learns about its location, please let me know.”
“Will do.”
Then Alton returned to his keep and found Kayla questioning his whole staff about the locket. He was glad they were fully cooperating, probably figuring that he was courting her, so it was what he would want to do. Which he did.
“Helena wanted gold only, right?” Kayla asked Alton.
“The golden fae? Yes. How far have you gotten here?”
“Ferdinand has told me that he paid the whole staff and the bills this week, right after you must have deposited my gold on top of your treasure.”
“Any lockets used in payment?” Alton asked Ferdinand. He was his butler, but also his personal assistant who managed all the finances.
“Most everyone wants payment in coins because the value is more of a known factor. But two of your guards asked for some jewelry, because they have sweethearts,” Ferdinand said, his brows pinched together in a frown.
Alton knew Ferdinand didn’t like having to question anyone about the payments they had received. It was theirs to do with whatever they liked. They had earned it. But this was too important to ignore.
“Have them meet with me in my office, would you?”
“Yes, sir.” Ferdinand stalked out the door.
“The rest of you are dismissed.”
Everyone but one of the maids left.
“Yes, Dorinda?” Alton asked, hopeful she knew something of the matter when no one else seemed to.
“I know who got it.”
“The locket?” Alton couldn’t have been more thrilled.
“George Fitzwilliam, the boot merchant. We all thought the locket was boring. Bronze, not as valuable as the gold or coins Ferdinand was handing out. Ferdinand had been annoyed he’d grabbed it up in his haste when he’d taken some of the items to pay for things. Rather than return it, he took it with him wherever he went to offer it in payment. And, curious, I asked if he had to return it to your treasure pile. He said no, the boot merchant accepted it, was eager even.”