Dragon's Treasure (Dragons Awaken Book 1)

by Maya Starling

  When Kaden snapped out of it, his eyes made contact with hers. He couldn’t believe she had caught him staring, but it was worth it, seeing a deep blush adorn Olivia’s cheeks as they looked at each other.

  Kaden’s tail twitched. Olivia bit her lip.

  She was the one to break the spell that wove itself around them. “What – “ She choked on the word and had to clear her throat as she looked away from his piercing gaze, “What is in the crate?”

  Kaden looked down at it, glad for the change of subject.

  “Let’s find out.” He cracked the crate open with his front claws and peered inside. Before he could answer her, he started laughing. He hadn’t laughed in a long time, and between gulps of air, snorts, and puffs of smoke, he responded,

  “Pants. A bunch of men’s pants!”

  Olivia froze for a moment in bewilderment, but soon she joined his laughter, and their united mirth echoed through the cave.

  Chapter 7

  “My goodness! I just ate a whole chicken!” Olivia said as she nibbled the meat off the last bone and threw it into the fire. “I feel like such a pig.”

  Kaden groaned as if the thought pained him. “Oh, please don’t say that. I just finished eating a pig. That would mean eating you. It is a most disturbing thought.”

  Before they had started eating, they had settled around the fire. Olivia had put the blanket underneath her so she wouldn’t be sitting on the cold ground and Kaden had curled up in his usual spot, facing the flames. He was big enough to be close to the blaze even from his place at the far end of the cave. The rain outside had slowed but hadn’t stopped yet; the gentle drizzle created a soft, calming music.

  The two cave-dwellers fell into a comfortable silence while they both enjoyed their meals, throwing surreptitious glances at each other when they thought, or hoped, the other wouldn’t notice. Only once during the meal did Kaden dare to disturb the gentle hush. Compelled, he shared with Olivia the details of his quest for their dinner. She was a little upset with him for stealing but admitted relief that he hadn’t harmed anyone. Finally, she had the presence of mind to express her gratitude to him for the meal, and he responded with good manners.

  That was yet another odd little fact about the dragon that she found so surprising. All the stories she had heard over the years about the dragons of old made them sound mostly bloodthirsty and vicious, but here she was, safe and relaxed, having lunch with a supposedly dangerous beast. She was also surprised how at ease she felt and how comfortable it was to just sit near the fire and eat while the conversation between them trickled intermittently.

  Every minute she spent in Kaden’s company, Olivia felt more refreshed and alive. Even though the cave was cold, damp and depressing, having the dragon for company improved her disposition. She never would have imagined finding herself in this situation, but here she was, and she found herself enjoying the experience.

  “Have you ever...” Olivia trailed off, too afraid to finish the sentence, and stared into the fire instead.

  Kaden had been expecting this question, waiting for it. “Eaten a human?” he finished for her, his voice soft.

  Olivia nodded as she sat cross-legged across the fire from him. Even though she was afraid of what his answer might be, she found the courage to look up into his amber eyes.

  “Never,” he answered; no lies marred his words. “Although there were a few times I wish I had.”

  His quiet chuckle filled the cave and Olivia tilted her head to the side in puppy-like curiosity. The sadness that had so long dimmed the sparkle in her eyes gave way to inquisitiveness, which he found most endearing.

  Again, he knew what she was asking just by looking at her.

  “I have encountered many evil people through the years.” He decided to be honest with her. “But the most I could bring myself to do was kill them.”

  Olivia instinctively leaned her body backwards, away from him as she stuttered out, “K- Kill them?” She hadn’t expected him to admit to taking lives.

  Her fright made Kaden angry and sad at the same time.

  “It’s better for some people to be dead!” He sputtered irritably as he raised his head higher, his eyes ablaze with long-suppressed anger. “Would you have me leave those murderers and rapists alive? They don’t deserve it! And sometimes, I just didn’t have a choice. It was either them or me and even though I hate my life sometimes… I still want to live.” Kaden breathed out slowly, trying to calm down because he saw her eyes widen with panic and her body tremble in reaction to his outburst. His tone was softer when he spoke again. “Not every situation is black or white.” His regretful sigh formed a cloud of smoke around him and the burnt smell of it wafted throughout the cave. “Sometimes, I just didn’t have a choice.”

  Olivia’s breath caught in her throat at his sudden outburst. The fear coursing through her body froze her in place but his last words and the sorrow behind them broke through her trepidation. It filled her eyes with unshed tears and when she finally blinked, one tear escaped its cradle.

  His eyes softened when he saw that one droplet slide down the soft skin of her pale cheek and he lowered his head in an apologetic manner.

  “I am... ummm... I apologize. I did not mean to…“ Olivia said as she lowered her head and wiped her face.

  “No… Don’t. I should be the one to apologize. I am sorry for my outburst. I wasn’t trying to take it out on you. I was just angry with my life and concerned that you would still be afraid of me. I mean, I understand you're upset but I’ve done everything I can think of to keep you from fearing me, have I not?” The dragon’s voice filled with hope.

  Olivia lifted her head to meet his gaze, and she read honesty there. Her shoulders relaxed down from the knot she had been holding them in. “Yes, you have,” she sighed. “I... I believe you would not hurt me.” Untangling her feet, she pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her hands around them. “Thank you, for understanding my point of view.”

  “I’ve had years to learn, but as you just witnessed, my anger sometimes gets the better of me.” He sighed in relief, lowering his head to the ground, finding himself eye to eye with Olivia.

  “Why are you here?” Kaden asked, voicing the question that had been on his mind since she had first stumbled into his cave.

  A half-smile appeared on Olivia’s face and an embarrassed flush colored her cheeks. “Oh. The reason just feels so stupid now. Silly even.” In hindsight, she couldn’t believe what she had done.

  But then again... all of her actions had led her to him.

  To the dragon. She stared at him in awe.

  “Well, I’d still like to know the reason which led you to me,” he said, almost as if he had read her mind. What surprised her, though, was his wink.

  She laughed.

  A dragon just winked at her. She shook her head in disbelief before answering.

  “Well. It might not sound serious to you, but I am embarrassed to admit it now. I thought my whole world was crumbling around me.” Olivia’s voice quivered and she swallowed down the emotions that threatened to clog her throat.

  “I live… I mean, I lived… not too far away,” she said. Lived sounded so wrong. She could hardly believe she was here, talking to a dragon – a real, fire-breathing, silk-scaled dragon – and that her parents and her old life were so far away; they had been everything to her, still were. How could she have done that to them? And leave an actually good life behind her… maybe she could have made her father change his mind. “The estate is probably about two days away, east of the mountains, near the city of Remor.” She choked back a sob. Breaking it down to its geography was not helping. “I digress… I am an only child, and my parents are quite wealthy and we have a big estate. As stupid as it is, estates are still handed down from a father to a son or a daughter… if she were married. But – I am not married yet.” Olivia frowned and picked at her dress. “My parents had me quite late, just when they started thinking they would never be able to conceive
a child. So, you understand, they are not young. And, lately they had started pressuring me to wed so I could inherit everything. I never… I never thought they would force me to marry. I thought my father would let me take over the estate either way. At least that was the mindset I grew up with.” Olivia shrugged as she paused to take a breath. She looked at Kaden, pulling her lower lip between her teeth, but she let it slip out when she realized his attention was riveted on her. It was disconcerting, and she felt she had to continue, caught in the intensity of his amber gaze. She saw her own reflection in one large black pupil, her pale face surrounded by the darkness and fire, and the truth came tumbling from her in a nervous rush.

  “I did not realize how important it was to them that I marry. It was one of the few things my father is old-fashioned about. Now, though, I understand what he wanted to achieve with that marriage. He wanted me to have someone who would take care of me as he took care of my mother. But I am different. I am quite capable and independent. And I would not be alone. We have plenty of people working for us... I am rambling again.” She shook her head, and the image of her childhood home materialized in her mind’s eye, the small, romantic stone castle her father had built for her mother, the flowers in the courtyard, the host to all the games she had played as a child… A tear pricked her eye. Olivia found herself swallowing and felt her formal, proper demeanor threatening to crumble beneath the weight of her guilt and the deep ache in her heart.

  Kaden tilted his head to the side, studying Olivia’s expression. His Little One was quite feisty.

  His? He frowned at himself and pushed the thought to the recesses of his mind. He should also stop calling her Little One if he kept having these thoughts about her. She would leave him soon enough anyway. Why would she stay? It’s no life for a person… She belonged out there, in the civilized world, not in his dreary cave and miserable life. But his inner most desire was for her to stay and slay his loneliness.

  “My father arranged for me to… but I was not aware of it at the time… to wed Lord Mykke. I had never given him any thought, not in that way. Sebastian, Lord Mykke, I mean, used to visit us, and then his visits became more… frequent. He showered me with attention and I did not mind since we developed a wonderful friendship. I never saw him as a possible lover or a husband, but I found more of an older brother in him. What I did not know was that my father had chosen him as my future husband and that was his way of trying to make me fall in love with Sebastian. I know not why I did not. I should have done, I suppose. He really was nice and sweet but... I just do not harbor those feelings for him.” Olivia shook her head and took a deep, steady breath. She didn’t notice the spark in the dragon’s eyes, or the tension that had crept into his limbs. At the mention of Sebastian and the arranged marriage, the tip of his tail snaked unconsciously to and fro across the cave floor with feline irritation.

  Olivia blinked and continued. “On the day my father told me I was betrothed to Sebastian – Lord Mykke – I broke down. But Father would not take no for an answer. He did not even give me the choice. And that was one of the constants in my life, my choices. We had a… we had a big argument, words were exchanged, my mother cried…” Olivia shook her head, “I cried, and yelled at them like the spoiled child I probably am, and I fled to the sanctuary of my room.” She sighed, dropping her gaze to her hands, fingers intertwined in a tight grip, holding at bay the guilt threatening to overwhelm her. She couldn’t believe she had done that to her parents. They had been so good to her and she had been so impetuous.

  “When night fell, I was still furious and hurt, so I snuck out at the witching hour. I took an old travelling bag with some spare clothes. I raided the kitchen for some food and then left without looking back.”

  Her eyes welled up as she explained to him about her failed attempt at running away and almost getting killed in the process. Sobs shook her body when she couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. She hadn’t cried since she had run away and had kept everything bottled up. Now, it all came pouring out, guilt and fear, as she curled up on the cold cave floor, holding herself because she had no one else to hold her.

  Sadness and compassion fought with the jealousy coursing through Kaden. To choose was a great luxury for him. He didn’t choose to be a dragon. He didn’t choose to steal. He didn’t choose to be isolated and alone. He didn’t choose to be hated or feared but it was his poor choices and the actions of his past that had led him to where he was today. Part of him was indignant and bitter, thinking about the freedom of choice that others took for granted, and in that moment he almost agreed with her – this girl was spoiled and should be more grateful for what she had. The rest of him was filled with admiration for her honesty, her courage, and the warmth in her heart. He had lived so long alone, hated and vilified, that he had almost forgotten what a good-hearted person was, and almost lost faith that there were any left in the world who might take pity on him.

  The sound of Olivia’s sobs penetrated the duel raging in his heart and shook him from his self-pity. He would choose, if he could, to pull her into his arms and comfort her as she cried.

  Her sadness and tears won over his self-absorption. Oh, woe is Kaden, he sneered at himself.

  The dragon moved to the side and carefully approached Olivia. He was afraid to envelop her in his arms because he was so much larger than her and his claws were as sharp as razors.

  Olivia, though, was oblivious to Kaden’s turmoil and approach until something nudged her gently. She lifted her head and looked through her bloodshot, bleary eyes and came face to face with the dragon. He was so close, with his head almost touching hers; without a moment’s thought she threw her hands around his snout.

  She clung as tightly as she possibly could... And he let her. She hung on for dear life as her mind drifted back to the night three days before.

  “No! I will never consent to be wedded with Sebastian. I thought you would… I thought the estate would be mine. You have raised me so, taught me all about running the business, the accounts—” Her father raised his hand to cut her off.

  “It will be yours,” Olivia’s father said, and the words stopped her furious pacing in front of his desk. She looked up as he continued, “But the estate is too big and the business too complex for you to do everything on your own. Think of your future family. You need a man at your side to help you and protect you. Lord Mykke is the perfect choice.” Lord Connal leaned back in his armchair and crossed his arms over his broad chest.

  Olivia shook her head. “He is like a brother to me and I… I want to wed for love, just as you and Mother did. And not for the convenience that union would bring.” Her eyes darted back and forth from her mother’s guilty features to her father’s, stern and unrelenting.

  Lady Caroline spoke softly, “Livvie, my sweet, you know well that your father and I are not young anymore.” She placed a hand on her husband’s shoulder and squeezed gently. “It is the right time for you to take over, but not on your own. Lord Mykke’s time to wed has come as well… passed even—”

  “Of course it has!” Olivia threw her hands in the air, exasperated. The light of the fire in the hearth mirrored the blazing anger in her eyes. “He is almost ten seasons my senior.”

  “Do not interrupt your mother. That is disrespectful.” Connal narrowed his eyes at Olivia, the hues of blue clashing. This was serious – he was close to losing his temper, something Olivia had rarely seen and had always taken pains to avoid. Tonight was not one of those times.

  “No. Your forcing me to marry someone I do not love is disrespectful.” Olivia glared back at her father, just as fiercely and with unwavering determination.

  “Your love for him might grow,” her mother cajoled, pressing her hands together. “A good friendship is a foundation for a strong relationship. You do not have any other suitors. You do not even try. ”

  Olivia’s eyes widened and she flung her arms out, waving. “Because I am busy helping with the estate…”

  “We have offer
ed to hold a ball in your name. We were even ready to send you to Remor, or Asil, but you always gave us a reason for not going, and we have respected that,” Lady Caroline said, and Olivia knew it for the truth. She had always dreamed that love would happen spontaneously, just like in the fairy tales, not by hosting a ball and parading herself around for possible suitors. She wanted someone to steal her heart and sweep her off her feet when she least expected it, not because they were supposed to.

  “You are not a child anymore.” Her father placed his hands on the table. “You need to face your responsibilities.”

  “My…” Olivia stopped herself, and sighed. “That is what I am trying to do. I… I do not know where this is coming from. I thought you were proud of me. I thought I was doing well enough on my own! Why do I need to wed just to carry on doing the same thing that I am doing now?” She shook her head, her brow furrowing deeply as she looked from one parent to the other, feeling utterly trapped. “Who are you? I do not even recognize my own father anymore.”

  “That is enough.” Connal stood up, the chair scraping against the wooden floor as he pushed it back. “The arrangement has been made and Lord Mykke has accepted.”

  “H-h-he…” Olivia stuttered and took a few steps back. He did what? The betrayal by her closest friend heated her cheeks as if she had just been slapped. “He did?” Her defenses and defiance crumbled, washed away by a tidal wave, the hard-suppressed tears now wetting her cheeks. She brushed them away, angry, but in vain. “You have all made arrangements about my future, about my life… without me? All of my life you both taught me different. You always said… You always said I was clever enough to make my own decisions.” She dropped her gaze and shook her head. “This is just too much.” She swiveled around, not looking back at her parents, and fled out of her father’s study, up the stairs and into her own room.