by Crystal Dawn
More days and then a week passed before his brother came by. “How goes it, Toreen?”
“I feel things will be good soon. How does the investigation go?”
“We’ve discovered some shocking things. The king and even the emperor wish to speak to you. You are invited for breakfast in the morning.”
“Should I be worried about their interest in me?” Toreen asked.
“No, they are simply concerned that this has gone on so long and have found that you are not the only one suffering from a similar issue. They hope understanding what happened will prevent it from happening again. Also, they plan to take action and want to be certain of exactly what occurred before they do so.” Niku admitted.
“Okay. I hope I survive the questioning.” He said with a laugh that had little humor in it.
They would see he’d been a fool to let this go on for so many years. While they would understand loyalty to his father, this had affected his people and his lands. That would be hard for them to overlook. Had he called in an accountant to check on things, his lands and people would have had things better long ago.
When morning came, Toreen was nervous, but prepared. He sent word to the kitchen that he would not be available for breakfast then he left. Changing to his dragon in the yard, he lifted to the skies a rush running over him as he lifted his wings. Higher and higher into the sky he moved spotting the castle which was his target. His dragon was excited even if the man was nervous.
He landed on the roof of the castle and was greeted by the guards. They obviously expected him and Toreen knew where to go. A regular visitor, he wasn’t, but he’d visited often enough to know where to go. Making his way there, he stopped at the desk in front of the meeting room to check in.
“Go on in. They wait for you.” The guard at the desk said. Tronger, he thought his name was. He’d been assigned to the roof for years when Toreen had visited in the past. Long enough, he’d gotten to know him a bit. Many had moved up to the next level with the military restructuring the king had done.
The guards at the door opened them as he approached nodding him in. Dragons in general were quiet speaking only when needed. The emperor, the king, Niku, Romo, and Garulto all sat at the table with a drink waiting to eat until he arrived.
“Glad you could come.” The emperor said and the others added their greetings.
“It was an honor to be invited.” He said with a half bow.
“Have a seat.” The king said gesturing to the seat near where he stood. It was a round table so all of them could clearly see each other.
Food was brought immediately and he noticed the aroma was much like Dori’s cooking. “The meal smells wonderful.” Toreen commented.
“Tomi has taken over the diner in the castle. It’s been expanded to allow more cooking on site. That way she can cater our meetings.” Erak explained. Sure he was the king, but he was also a friend and a cousin.
They began to eat as Romo started the discussion. “It seems there is some evidence to support that a certain group of the females on Laurelia Proper can exert some kind of mind control over others, mostly males. They are called swamp witches. After speaking with my mate and her family, it seems that such things are known of on Earth as well.”
“Tell us more of these swamp witches.” The emperor demanded.
“Witches are called such because they are said to have magic or some kind of power. We have little understanding about what they do or how they do it, but our informers said that the best and most powerful are healers. They use their abilities for good and keep to themselves. A few have been known like Dannia, but they were caught by their own people and destroyed. To go out among others is against their rules. Dannia’s mother mated her father, an outsider. When her people caught and destroyed the mother, they were unaware of the child.” Romo explained.
“So her father remated?” The king asked.
“Yes, and then Cretia was born. The poor girl has always lived in the shadow of Dannia. The sister controlled her and basically ruled her life. Cretia signed up for the mating program to escape.” Romo continued.
“It didn’t work.” Toreen observed.
“No, Dannia was rich by then, but she could never gain power on her home planet. If they checked into her background and realized who she was, her own people would have destroyed her. Since no one knew who she was, she had unrestricted access everywhere. She followed Cretia here and mated a wealthy male who she had killed then she killed Cretia’s mate. Once again she took control of her sister’s life.” Niku explained.
“Tragic.” Erak said. All the males present agreed.
“She let Cretia settle into a life since her intended’s family kicked her out as soon as she rejected the first offer of mating.” Niku described.
“That’s not acceptable. They had a responsibility for her. She should have received his death benefits since she left her world for him. What happened?” The emperor asked.
“They took the benefits once they got rid of her. It might have been because they blamed her for not completing the mating and having a grandchild they could love. Her intended was an only child.” Niku observed.
“The whole situation is terrible. It’s like every step of the way fate conspired to set this tragedy into motion.” The emperor declared. He was right. Had Cretia been able to stay with her intended’s family, she would have been harder to victimize. “There are laws in place to protect mates like Cretia. No one looked out for her and she became a victim. How is she doing now?”
No one spoke as all eyes turned to him. “She’s at my home where she runs the kitchen and keeps the books.”
“Has she found a mate?” Erak asked.
“She’s not mated yet, but will be in time.” Toreen admitted.
Erak let it drop, but Toreen knew it would be brought back up again. He should just go home and claim her. But he knew he’d not do it even though the more he discovered, the more it was clear she’d been a victim from the word go. For now they continued the talk discussing his father now.
“So how did this female come into your father’s life?” Erak asked.
“She was widowed. Her first husband was wealthy, but had no ties to the aristocracy. The woman likes parties and fun. Although our father also has no blood ties to royal blood, he is still sent most of the invitations to parties and events among nobles or the wealthy.” Niku admitted.
“Why?” Erak asked.
“I don’t know. Toreen is often busy so maybe they think he represents his holding. Maybe they even think he is the lord. It never seemed to matter so we never asked.” Niku admitted. “I’ll have Romo investigate.” He nodded to Romo who returned his nod.
“Now let’s get to the money. Your new bookkeeper is much better than your old one. They caught something going on since before you took over. Massive amounts of money have been taken from your holding over time. You should give the guy a bonus.” Erak suggested.
Toreen just nodded. His human side didn’t want to discuss Cretia. This meeting was nearly over and when he got home, he would find her because his dragon needed to see her. His dragon and his human side were totally at odds, something that had never happened before. Still, he resisted mating no matter how bad that made him feel. In the shadow of what had been revealed, his dragon had sympathy for him.
That sympathy wasn’t enough to stop his dragon from preparing to join their mate. Dessert was brought, there was a selection of pies. It was far more than even this group of dragons could eat.
“My guards will finish off the food that’s left. Tomi always sends too much and my guards look forward to it.” Erak admitted. He’d noticed Toreen’s look of disbelief at the amount of dessert.
There was an amazing selection of pies from berries to other fruits. She’d even fixed a meringue pie made from one of the sour fruits not normally used in pies and one made with nuts. They all ate quietly too busy enjoying their dessert. Once they were done, they all sat in their seats with full b
ellies wishing they could take a nice nap.
“I think we’ve done what we can for now. A deeper investigation into your stepmother is underway. We’ll let you know as things become clear.” Erak said. It was clear he was dismissing them, or some of them, at any rate.
Rising, Toreen nodded to the others then took his leave. There was a full day still ahead of him starting with seeing his unclaimed mate. Excitement rushed through his dragon as he stood on the roof and the change came over him. His property was just out of sight from where his dragon stood, but as he rose into the air, his dragon’s eyes could make out the borders of his land and the roof of his manor house.
His dragon’s heart swelled with love for the female his human refused. It was crazy that the two parts that together made him what he was couldn’t agree. Maybe it wasn’t so much that his human half didn’t want her so much as that he found it hard to trust after what his father had been a party to. Eventually he would have to make a decision before it was made for him. He felt that situation heading closer and closer.
Cretia had dealt with a lot. And while she was a great asset to his house, he sensed she was not content to remain there. That was part of the reason his dragon was pushing him to mate her. Once that was done, he would have a legal claim to her as well.
Electricity rushed through his dragon along with a slight sense of unease. Something seemed off, but he knew not what that might be. Flying at his fastest speed, he slowed just in time to hit the ground in his yard and come to a fast stop. Almost, he fell and skidded across the ground. Instead he managed to stumble, but catch himself. Changing back to his human form he entered his manor house with a crazed look on his face.
People jumped back when they saw him. “Are you alright?” Tofar a young cousin asked.
“Where’s Cretia?” He demanded.
“You don’t intend to hurt her, do you?” Tofar asked.
“I’m concerned about her.” He admitted.
“I’ve not seen her about so she may be in her room.”
Like a crazy male he ran to her room throwing open the door seeing the room empty. Walking in, he saw a note upon her bed. His dragon roared in anger and pain. Toreen ran to exit the house before he burned it down. As he entered the yard and took to the air, he sent fire rushing skyward. His dragon screeched with his heart in his cries.
Cretia was his, but she’d left him and she had no plan to ever come back. His dragon wanted to beat his human to a bloody pulp, but that wasn’t possible. Even his human was upset and regretting putting off the decision he’d been considering. Now he landed by the spot he and the others had saved her from her attackers. His heart did flip flops as he remembered the condition they’d found her in.
Two vile rogues had attacked her beating her nearly to death on the orders of her sister. His dragon had desired nothing so greatly as to tear those two males to shreds, but Niku and Romo held him back. Cretia was their main concern as she was near death. Their next concern was to discover more about the two rogues. It was only after questioning them the connection between Cretia’s sister and them had been made.
Now his female was given money for reparations and it had given her the opportunity to leave him. Now he needed to find her, but he had no idea where she might go. With money to pay her way, it could be anywhere. He’d find her and when he did, he’d ensure she never left him again. If that meant forming the bond, so be it. His dragon would not be consoled any other way.
Toreen also worried. What if Dannia had lured her away? That evil creature was capable of anything. Most males had no defenses against her unless they were mated. Neither Niku nor Romo had found themselves drawn to her. He knew he wouldn’t be either because mated or not, he’d found his one.
He made his way home to get to work. When Niku was done for the day, he would steer Toreen in the right direction. Surprisingly, it didn’t bother him that Niku was her friend. It was almost like the bond of siblings they shared. That was a bond they would have anyway once he mated her.
Getting back to his usual work was hard on him. His mind returned to Cretia and wondered where the hell she could be. He hoped for the best and feared for the worst. Deep in his heart he was only sure she was alive. That’s what his dragon told him and his dragon had a connection with her that would let it know once it was severed.
Finally, his com buzzed and it was Niku returning his earlier call. “Toreen.”
“What’s going on?” Niku asked.
“I came home and Cretia was gone. No way for me to know where she went and I need you to help me find her.”
“Is it Dannia?” Niku asked.
“No, she left on her own. It’s possible she was lured away, but I doubt it.”
“You should have claimed her. Why didn’t you?”
“I’m not really sure. My dragon screams to, but my human is concerned.” Toreen admitted.
“Usually it’s the females that act as you do.” Niku observed.
Toreen flushed his face red. He started to argue, but he knew there was truth in his brother’s words. His head hung down. “Yes, you are right. But I will never be happy without her. Help me so I can set things to right.”
“There’s one place I think of right away.”
“The hut she stayed in before? But that was barely livable.”
“Perhaps, but her life was simple and I believe if left alone she would have been content.”
“You believe I should leave her be?” Toreen felt like he’d been kicked. Maybe he didn’t deserve her, but if he got her back he would show her he was the male for her.
“That’s not what I meant. I was talking about Dannia hounding her. Cretia never thought of me as more than a friend. It hurt her to have to press me as she did. Her life was simple, but she’d carved out a life for herself where she depended on no one. That life would be better now since Dori shared some tips with her. If you don’t really want her, let her be because she will be fine on her own.” Niku advised.
There was not much he could say, he’d waited months and not claimed her. It wasn’t hard to see why Niku was concerned about his feelings for Cretia. Toreen simply could not leave her be. He needed her, his inner dragon screamed for her presence and would go insane without her nearby.
“Come get me and we will see if she’s there.” Toreen directed. Right now he was too torn up to be polite, but later he would thank his brother for his help.
“I’m leaving now.” Niku agreed.
Moments later he saw him circle as he came in for a perfect landing. “Ready?” Toreen nodded. “Follow me.”
Niku lifted off with Toreen on his tail literally. He hung close refusing to risk being left behind. They landed at a hut not far from his lands. It was small, made for a single person. The place was old, but seemed solid enough at least on the outside. Her scent his him telling him she’d been here recently, might even still be here.
Niku walked to the hut knocking on the new looking door. No answer. “She’s not here right now, but she has been within the last hour. If she’s staying here, she often harvests herbs to sell and fishes in the creek. Dori said she’s even learned to hunt eggs and use a slingshot to take down small animals. Your mate is an independent female so be careful when you approach her.”
“You’re leaving?” Toreen asked almost panicked.
“I think you need time alone with her more than a witness.” Niku observed with a chuckle.
“But she’s more comfortable around you. She may not listen to me.”
“I’ve never known her not to listen. She just doesn’t always do as requested. That’s something you’ll have to get used to.” Niku advised.
Cretia had followed his directions perfectly until today when she’d packed up her stuff and left him. It had been so unexpected he’d gone crazy for a moment. That’s when it became clear to him he had no claim on her, none. His orders meant only the power she granted him. Now she had decided to withdraw her acceptance of his orders.
S
he was not one of his people, he just wanted her to be. Now he had to claim her if she would allow it, or let her go. This was the time of decision and he would embrace his future or lose any hope of happiness. He nodded to Niku who immediately left. His brother had his own mate to see to and she was expecting twins soon. Toreen knew it had been unfair of him to call his brother away. He still felt a bit lost as he watched Niku’s dragon become smaller and smaller until he dropped out of sight no doubt landing at his home.
Now Toreen had nothing else to distract him. It was time to hunt Cretia down and decide their future. Drawing in a deep breath, his dragon began to track his mate as no other ever could. Thankfully, there were no other scents around. Had an unknown male been near his unclaimed mate, Toreen would have struggled not to tear him apart.
Walking slowly, he headed in the direction his nose told him to take. Her scent was sweet like the finest candy. There was no way he could have stopped himself from hunting her down even had he tried. Toreen saw a narrow trail heading into the woods so he followed it. It was probably one made by his mate traveling to the creek countless times over the last year. It even showed signs of use recently.
That told him she’d never abandoned this place completely. He assumed from that fact that she’d always planned to come back here eventually. Toreen couldn’t blame her since he’d not accepted her as he should, but it still gave him pain. Following the trail, he could see the creek in sight. Her scent had grown almost strong enough to take him to his knees.
He’d admit he’d been a fool in the worst possible way, but would she care? Had he waited too long for her to care? Stopping quickly, his eyes found her on the banks of the creek kicked back with a fishing pole in her hand. Her demeanor was so relaxed she was either asleep or daydreaming. There was no doubt she hadn’t yet sensed his presence nor did she expect it.
Moving forward quietly, he was almost upon her before she became aware of him. Cretia didn’t move, but her eyes lifted to him. “What are you doing here?” She asked.