by Vella Day
Tanner was about to deny the allegation until he thought about it. Yes, he would have told Ella to stay put. Damn. There was only one solution: go after her.
The problem was that while he knew she lived in Thedia Province, that didn’t narrow it down much. Her last name was Snowden, and her father was the snow leopard Clan Alpha. Surely, someone would know where to find her family.
He pulled out his phone and called Clint again. “I’m going to Thedia to find Ella.”
“Did she tell you she was there?” Clint asked.
“No, but it’s the only thing that makes sense.”
“Are you sure she wants you to chase after her?”
Did it matter? Tanner was her mate. “I need to find her.”
Clint said nothing for a few seconds. “Then what are you waiting for?”
“Not a thing.”
Tanner was glad Clint didn’t try to talk him out of going. He wouldn’t have succeeded even if he had. Tanner stuffed his phone in his pocket. After returning the car to the office, he shifted. He had a few connections in the area. Hopefully, one of them was sure to know where her home was.
“Ella?” her mother said as she stepped into the living room. “What are you doing back home? Was life too hard out in the real world, like I said it would be?” A small smile captured her lips.
Really? Ella might only have been gone a few weeks, but shouldn’t her mom be somewhat happy to see her? “No, mother. I came home to let you in on a little secret about Moran.”
“You saw Moran?”
“I did.”
“I spoke to him after you ran off. He was devastated that you’d left.”
Ella didn’t want to get into the discussion with her mother. This required a family meeting. “Is father here? Or Mori or Christa? I have news they need to hear.”
Her mother’s lips pinched. “I’ll let your father know you want an audience.”
An audience? Did her mother think Dad was some king or something? Footsteps sounded, and her father came into the living room. “Ella! You’re back.” He hugged her.
At least one of her parents was happy to see her. “It’s temporary. I need to tell you some disturbing news.”
Her father stepped back. “Come sit and tell us.”
“I want Mori and Christa here too.”
Her father’s shoulders slightly sagged. “I’ll find them.”
Once he left, the air seemed to evaporate out of the room. While her father always put the Clan first, he did love his daughters, which was more than she could say about her mother.
Her father returned with Mori and Christa trailing behind. They both squealed and then hugged her.
“Are you back for good?” Mori asked.
“No. I came to warn you all.”
“Warn us about what?” Christa asked.
Once they were all seated, Ella told them about meeting her mate. “He’s my true mate. I know you believe duty above love, but that’s not who I am. I want to be with Tanner, though he’s a bit upset after Moran attacked him.”
“What?” her father said. “Moran attacked him?”
“Yes.” She glanced at Mori, who looked away. She’d been the one to give Moran her location. To be honest, Ella was glad he’d come and been defeated.
“Moran was probably defending what rightfully belonged to him,” her mother said, her chin held high.
How sad that her mother considered herself—and Ella—chattel. “Possibly, but did you know he is part panther and part dragon shifter? That means the man is an out and out liar.” The disbelief and shock on her parents’ faces gave her some satisfaction, though she felt a bit sorry for them. Bringing the two clans together would have been a boon to the dwindling population of snow leopards.
“Are you sure?” her father asked.
“When he shifted and took to the air, I was convinced.”
Her parents exchanged a glance. “What happened to this Tanner person?”
“Tanner is a pure dragon shifter and a superior fighter. He could’ve killed Moran though he didn’t, but he did drive him to the ground. And then Moran took off.”
“If what you say is true, this is highly disturbing. I wonder if his father knows that Moran isn’t his son.”
“I’m not sure it really matters anymore,” Ella said. She looked over at her mother. “Do you want someone that deceptive to be part of this family?”
“Does this mean I won’t be mated to Moran?” Christa interjected.
Ella couldn’t tell if she was excited or disappointed. “I should hope not,” Ella said.
“No, Christa. You will not be mated to Moran.” Her father looked over at Ella. “Are you happy being with Tanner?”
“I’ve never been happier.” Until Tanner became upset because she’d lied to him.
A knock sounded at the front door and everyone stilled. No one moved since one of the servants would answer. When she heard Tanner’s voice demanding he speak with her, Ella jumped up. “Excuse me.”
She rushed out. Part of her wanted to be mad at him for coming after her and part wanted to hug him. The joyful half won.
“Ella. Thank goddess you’re safe. I thought Moran might have taken you.”
He held out his arms, and she ran to him, forgetting all about their disagreement. “I’m fine. I had to let my parents know Moran and his parents deceived them.”
“I was hoping that was the case, but why didn’t you tell me you were coming here? I would have flown you. As it was, I had to call in a number of favors just to find you.”
“I’m sorry. I thought my reveal of Moran’s heritage would go over better without you here, but since you are, come meet the family.”
He leaned close. “Why didn’t you tell me you needed money? I saw the jewels.”
Crap. “Those were presents from my parents. I planned to sell them as needed in order to survive.” Now wasn’t the time to discuss that. “Let’s go before they believe you kidnapped me.”
When they entered the living room, her father stood, his expression stoic. Both of her sisters, however, looked love-stricken. That was no surprise since Tanner was a very handsome man. Her mother just stared. It was possible no one other than a snow leopard or a panther shifter had ever set foot in this house. Ella was almost tempted to ask Tanner to demonstrate his prowess by shooting fire into the air, but it didn’t take a second to imagine that going very wrong.
“Nice to meet you,” Tanner said. He shook all of their hands, though her mom did hesitate.
Probably because he was a business owner, he knew how to approach people.
“Tell me what you do, Tanner,” her father asked.
“I’m a contractor in Grindale Province.”
Her father smiled. “I have to say I’m surprised, Ella, that you would consider going out with a contractor. I thought you didn’t like the profession.”
“When Tanner saved me from being trapped under the snow because of the avalanche, I didn’t think to ask what he did for a living.”
Her mother actually chuckled, a sound Ella hadn’t heard in a while. That broke the tension in the room.
“We were told about the avalanche and the car, but when I checked, your vehicle was gone,” her father explained.
“I retrieved it,” Tanner said.
“Thank you. I want to hear all about this near-death experience.”
She regaled them with his story from the moment she left to now.
To her delight, her family asked Tanner to stay for dinner as well as invited him to spend the night.
She had to say the evening turned out to be a big success, partly because Tanner and her dad had a lot in common. The story telling even included a recapping of the battle between Tanner and Moran.
Her father sighed. “Tomorrow, I plan to tell the Blackwoods that our two clans will not be uniting—ever. I will not tolerate that kind of deception.”
She didn’t wish that conversation on anyone.
Her mothe
r cleared her throat. “So tell me, have you two mated officially?” This time her tone held no rancor.
“Not yet, but we do live together,” Ella said.
“I wanted to give Ella the chance to decide if and when she wants to mate with me,” Tanner added.
Her mother looked over at Dad and then back at Tanner. “That is very considerate of you.”
Ella was tired of her mother’s attitude. “Mom, it’s the way it should be. No one should be forced to mate against her will. I understand that the Clan needs more members, but those members should love each other. We deserve to be able to choose. Maybe if we changed things, our clan would grow. When Tanner and I mate, I hope to bring a few more snow leopards into the fold. Will they be a hybrid? Yes, but what is wrong with that?”
“She’s right, Miriam. Ella makes a good point. I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to convince the Clan to change their ways, but I’ll give it a try.”
Never in her wildest dreams had she believed she’d win that battle. Ella jumped up, ran to her father, and hugged him. “Thank you.”
“You can thank me by having a litter of snow leopard pups.”
She laughed. “A litter. Maybe one or two—in a few years. I want to enjoy Tanner for now. Besides, he has to finish building this amazing ecology park first.”
“Ecology park?” her father asked.
For the next hour, Tanner regaled them with his vision.
“It sounds amazing,” Christa said. She was the rescuer of all animals, and Ella couldn’t wait to show her when the place was finished.
Ella had told Tanner that her mother was reserved, but when he saw what kind of bitter and lonely woman she was, his admiration for his mate grew. It had to have taken a lot of courage to stay for as long as she had.
Dinner was delicious, but the conversation was strained at times. Even though her dad had shown interest in Tanner’s construction business, he didn’t want to bore the whole family with new techniques. To be honest, Tanner felt as if he was under a microscope. Her mom asked questions about his background and what kind of people his parents were. He balked at first, but he supposed any mother would want to make sure their daughter had chosen well.
After dinner, they served drinks. It wasn’t long before Ella yawned heavily. “I am beat. My eyes are blurry from all the driving.”
Tanner doubted the car ride tired her out since her vehicle was self-driving but sitting most of the day would be hard. If it meant they could go to bed sooner though, he was all for it. Unfortunately, her mom escorted him to one of the guest bedrooms. “We’ll be down the hall if you need anything.” She might have sounded sweet, but the implication was clear: stay away from my daughter while under our roof.
Tanner was pleased with himself for not laughing. What did her mother think living together entailed? It didn’t matter. Tomorrow, they’d drive back to Plux where Ella would stay for good.
Once in his room, Tanner stripped down to his underwear and crawled into a very comfortable bed. Less than ten minutes later, there was a soft knock on the door. In case his senses were off, and it was the maid and not Ella, he pulled the sheet over his lap. “Come in?”
As soon as the door opened, Ella’s fragrance stimulated his nose. His heart pulsed hard, as did his inner scales. She tiptoed inside and closed the door.
Ella smiled and rushed over to his bed. If he’d been angry with her deception before, all was forgiven. He missed her too much to remain mad.
“I never thought dinner would end.” Ella sat on the bed, and his inner fire burned bright.
“Me neither, but I thought it went well.”
“I have to agree. I don’t remember ever having anyone other than a snow leopard or a panther in the house before. I think my leaving caused them to think about what is most important.”
Tanner reached up and cupped her cheek. “I need to apologize for judging you.”
She shook her head. “I should have told you that I came from a crazy family.”
“Even if you had warned me about Moran, I would have been pissed that he tried to take you back.”
She leaned over and kissed him. “I’m glad you were pissed. I like a man who protects his mate and shows how much he wants me in a good way.”
“Oh, I wanted you all right. Apparently, Moran did too—only for different reasons. He’s lucky he’s still alive.”
“If you’d killed him, there would have been a lot of questions. At least now, Moran won’t be foisted on my family.”
Only then did it occur to him that Ella had no reason to remain in Plux. “If your parents aren’t going to pressure you into being with Moran, does that mean you want to stay in Thedia?”
Her eyes widened. “Do you want me to stay here?”
Chapter Twelve
Ella held her breath. She didn’t really think Tanner would say yes. He wouldn’t have flown all the way to Thedia and searched for her if he didn’t want her back. They were mates after all.
“Hell no, I don’t want you to stay here. You and I are mates. If I had my way, I’d mate with you right now, but I don’t want to rush you.”
Her pulse soared. Even after the lies, Tanner wanted her. “After being without you even for one day, I know that we belong together.”
“Are you saying you’re ready to mate?” he asked.
“Yes, but not while in my parents’ house.”
He held up a hand. “Then how about we fly back to Plux for the night? We’ll return before they know you’ve gone.”
She giggled. That seemed so decadent, but she loved it. “Let’s do it! Though we do have some very nice hotels nearby.”
He grinned. “You are indeed my solution girl.”
It only took him a minute to dress and for her to grab a small overnight bag. Even though her parents were shifters and had excellent hearing, she and Tanner managed to leave out the back. Tanner shifted and lifted her to the sky. Despite it being night, the ski area was well lit, and finding a nice hotel was not hard. Once they checked in, she couldn’t wait for the real event to start.
The room had two large king-sized beds, but one of them would not be used tonight. “Now, where were we?” she asked.
“I think you were naked.”
She laughed. “Ah, I don’t think so. I had to walk down the hallway to reach your room. I was anything but naked.”
“Then perhaps you’d like to help me get undressed.”
Now he was talking. Wanting to do exactly that, she ditched her shoes and then slid her hands under his long-sleeved shirt. In one smooth move, she lifted the material over his head. Her pulse soared. “You are magnificent.”
He laughed. “I don’t hold a candle to your beauty.”
What happened next could only be described as a frenzy. His shoes flew halfway across the room while she stepped out of her pants and tossed off her shirt. His jeans disappeared. In seconds, only their underwear remained, and those would be so much fun to remove.
“Want to help me?” she asked.
Tanner pulled down the spread and then tossed her on top of the bed. “Oh, yes, my little snow cat.”
She liked that nickname. “Can I call you dragonfly?”
“I might be a dragon who can fly, but trust me, there is nothing small about me.”
“Is that so?” She ran her hand down his chest and grabbed his cock.
“Watch it, girl. If the name Tanner isn’t to your liking, how about fire beast or powerhouse?”
Ella laughed. She loved it when he was silly. Tanner was too often serious. “Maybe I should just call you babe.”
“Mmm. That might work.”
“Let’s seal this deal with a kiss.”
“I’ll be doing a lot more than that in a moment.” He climbed onto the bed, slid next to her, and the moment their lips connected, her world spun. The kiss that followed heated up every cell in her body. To think that they would be joining their hearts and their magic in a few minutes thrilled her to no end.
As much as she never wanted to break the kiss, Ella had other things in mind. “I’ve waited forever for this,” she panted.
“You and me both.”
Never had she been with a man who was this romantic—when he wanted to be.
When Tanner threaded his hands through her hair, her nails and teeth sharpened. He groaned as their tongues danced to a beat only they could hear, and their breaths increased. She ran her hands down his back but couldn’t quite reach his rear. Darn. To satisfy her need, she lifted her legs and ran her heels over his buns of steel. Every inch of this dragon shifter was magnificent.
Gold flashed from inside his body at random intervals, and Ella could almost feel her eyes changing to green. What this man—or rather dragon shifter—could do to her should be outlawed.
Not until she’d met Tanner did she relish the idea of mating. Now, she wanted that more than anything. Ella broke this kiss in order to tell him what was in her heart. “I love you, babe.”
He smiled. “I’ve loved you from the moment I first met you.”
She huffed out a laugh. “Always have to one up me, huh?”
He reached down and tickled her. “That’s what powerful dragon shifters do.”
“How about a little less talking, and a little more action, Mr. Powerful?”
Tanner laughed. “You are something else, you know that?”
Ella placed a finger to his lips. “Shh.”
She pressed on his shoulder to indicate she wanted him on his back, and he obliged. “These need to go,” she said referring to his briefs.
Ella lifted the waistband and tugged them down. The view did not disappoint. She threaded his underwear down his legs, and then Tanner toed them off. Wanting to enjoy him fully, she aligned her knees with his and then dropped down on her haunches. Leaning over, she grabbed his cock and then ran her tongue up his length.
His groan came out too loud. “Shh. We don’t want the hotel to get a complaint that we are indulging in illicit and amazing sex.”
“Screw them. This is what hotels are for.” He groaned again. “That feels so fucking good.”