by Donna Grant
Con smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Good luck. I can no’ imagine a better King for her.”
Chapter Eight
Everything was wrong.
Everything had gone wrong.
Eurwen paced her cottage, resentment and hurt mixing into a potent, intoxicating fusion. The conversations with her parents, Brandr, and Vaughn kept running through her head on a loop until they blended.
She paused and put her hands to her head. “Stop,” she demanded.
Everything cleared away but Vaughn.
She dropped her arms to her sides and swallowed past the lump of emotion in her throat. How had everything gone to shite so spectacularly today? Every conversation she had seemed to be on a collision course with a wrecking ball—even Brandr, who she had needed to lean on, to have his support. Eurwen had never been in this position. Her twin had always been there to listen and talk to her.
He’d never given her an ultimatum before.
But she realized that what she felt had nothing to do with her brother or her parents. Or Vaughn. This was about her. She loved Zora, deeply. But for a long time, she had felt as if something were missing in her life. Could Vaughn be the answer? Or was she so caught up in the fantasy and memory of their shared night that she couldn’t see past it to the actual answers?
There was only one way to find out.
Eurwen stalked to the door and yanked it open—only to find Vaughn standing there.
Her heart leapt into her throat. “What are you doing here?”
“Coming to see you,” he answered in his deep, velvet timbre. He quirked a thick brow. “Where are you going?”
“To find you.”
She couldn’t look away from his gaze. Her skin tingled all over as her blood ran fast and hot through her veins. The memory of the dream made her sex throb with need.
“I doona like the way we left things,” he said.
Eurwen nodded in agreement. “I didn’t either.”
When his gaze lowered to her mouth, she found it impossible to breathe. She fought not to throw herself at him and kiss him.
“Lass, you’ve got to stop that,” he said in a strained voice.
A slow smile curved her lips. Eurwen didn’t pretend to misunderstand what he was talking about. “Oh?”
“We’ll get to the loving. But first, I’d like to talk.”
She let her gaze slowly run down his hard body from his broad shoulders in his form-fitting shirt to his trim hips and long legs encased in denim. He was unimaginably gorgeous in human form. But in dragon form, he was magnificent.
“Eurwen.”
Her stomach fluttered at the raw longing in his voice. She briefly closed her eyes and pulled herself together. If he wanted to wait, then she would wait. It might be the most painful thing she’d ever done, but she would do it.
“As you wish,” she replied as she met his gaze again. “Please. Come in.”
She turned to walk away and let him close the door. She didn’t get two strides before he spun her and clasped her against him. His blue eyes flared with desire so deep, so palpable, that she forgot to breathe. Then she felt his arousal pressed against her stomach, thick and hard.
“In case you doona think I want you,” he said in a low, husky voice.
Her fingers gripped his upper arms tightly. Eurwen was overwhelmed by a myriad of emotions she couldn’t even begin to name. But the one thing she did know was that having Vaughn near, letting him hold her, was something she hadn’t even realized she needed.
“What?” he pressed as he searched her face.
Eurwen swallowed, trying to put what she was feeling into words. “I–I didn’t fathom how the sound of your voice would…” She shook her head, unable to find the word.
“Would what, lass?” he pressed, his voice gentle and soft as if he knew how difficult this was for her.
“That it would ease something inside me I hadn’t even known was there.”
“I know the feeling.” He wrapped his arms around her again, bringing her closer.
Eurwen closed her eyes as they held each other. She rested her cheek on his shoulder and accepted the embrace. Nothing about it was sexual. It went much deeper than that. And it was profound.
This wasn’t her first hug. She’d had many over her lifetime from her brother and even Erith, but this felt entirely different. This wasn’t brotherly or motherly. This was…stronger, richer. Deeper. It was the same connection she’d felt the first time she’d seen Vaughn across the fire in the Celtic village. A familiarity she couldn’t explain. An ease that didn’t make sense.
A closeness she innately knew—and sought.
“I’ve missed you,” she whispered.
His hold tightened. “And I’ve missed you.”
Minutes passed as they simply stood there, holding each other. Finally, Eurwen leaned back to look at him. “You want answers.”
“There are a few I hope you can give me. But more than anything, I just want to talk. I want to know you—as well as I know your body,” he said with a sexy smile.
She quirked a brow at him. “Now look who’s teasing.”
His expression grew serious. “I searched the world over for you. I never stopped looking because I knew you were out there somewhere, waiting for me to find you.”
“You should be angry about what I did.”
He blew out a breath and stepped back, his hands moving down her arms to take hers. “A part of me is, but I also know that people usually have a reason for the things they do.”
“That reason could’ve been to hurt you.”
Vaughn shook his head, a lock of light brown hair falling onto his forehead. “If you had wanted to wound me, there were many ways you could’ve done it by sticking around and playing with my heart.”
“I’m not so sure I could be as polite as you if the situations were reversed.”
“I’ve had centuries to learn patience. Though, I’ll admit, it’s still one of my shortcomings.”
Eurwen couldn’t help but smile. She led him to the sofa with one hand and pulled him down beside her. “Would you like anything?”
“You,” he replied. “But I’ll wait.”
He was entirely too charming. Then again, she knew that. “I have a confession. I’ve returned to Earth a few times since our night.”
“I assumed you had.”
“I watched you handle a couple of legal matters for Dreagan. You’re a force. With one word, you can make your opponents lose their cool in the most embarrassing ways. It’s mesmerizing to watch. You’re charming but savage at the same time.”
He glanced down at their still-interlocked hands. “I wish you would’ve approached me.”
“I couldn’t. I wasn’t supposed to the first time, but I was unable to resist you. I saw you walk into the village and couldn’t take my eyes off you. I knew who you were, and I couldn’t believe you were there.”
One side of his lips lifted in a grin. “Like it was Fate?”
“Exactly.”
“Because it was.”
She tucked her legs against her as she turned to face him. “I wanted to approach you the other times I visited, too. You have no idea how much.”
“What stopped you?”
“A pact Brandr and I made. After we came to Zora, we spent decades sorting things out with the dragons. We barely got that under control before the humans began arriving.”
Vaughn’s brows snapped together. “No’ bairns?”
Eurwen paused, searching her mind. “There were a handful of adults, both men and women, and each of them had infants.”
“Curious,” he murmured. “Go on.”
She licked her lips. “We knew what had occurred on Earth with the mortals. Erith told us everything.”
“A second-hand account, I might add.”
“True. But she was on your side. She has a deep love for dragons, and especially my parents.”
Vaughn blew out a breath. “Then you know ho
w she saved Rhi?”
“I do. The point was, Brandr and I refused to make the same mistakes that happened in your realm. We approached the humans only once and told them about the planet. Said that it was ours. We asked them to leave, but they didn’t have any idea how they had even gotten here. Brandr actually took them to another realm, but the next day, they were back. We tried that thrice more with the same outcome.”
“That tidbit is interesting,” Vaughn said.
“We had no choice but to leave them here. Still, we put up the barrier and warned them to stay inside it. We clearly marked it for them so they knew where it was. We also gave them a good-sized area so they didn’t feel constricted and want to go through the barrier. About six months later, two more infants arrived, seemingly out of nowhere.”
Vaughn’s frown was deep. “You’ve never seen anyone?”
“Never.”
“Is it on your side of the barrier?”
She shook her head. “Both Brandr and I have tried to see who it is, but we’ve never been able to. There’s no rhyme or reason for when the bairns arrive, or even how many. Somehow, the mortals always know.”
“Jeyra said they have people checking certain places several times a day, just in case. I doona think they’re warned. I think they’ve learned that it happens and to be prepared.”
Eurwen shrugged. “Makes sense.”
“Knowing what happened with us and the mortals colored your view of them.”
“Are you really telling me that if you had it to do all over again, you wouldn’t do things differently?”
He twisted his lips. “Maybe. It’s easy to say that now, but it wasna so black and white when we were going through all of it. But that story is for another time. You were telling yours.”
“It wasn’t just my brother and me who were wary of the humans. The dragons were, as well. They all knew the stories of why their ancestors had come to this realm. Their hatred runs deep.”
“How do they feel about Jeyra being here?”
Eurwen had hoped he wouldn’t ask that question. “Let’s just say it’s a good thing she’s with a Dragon King.”
“I thought you might say something like that. The other Kings on Earth need to know this.”
“I understand why the rest of you need to come here and see the dragons firsthand, but I hope you also appreciate how things have changed for the dragons since leaving your realm.”
He nodded slowly and gave her a reassuring smile. “I’ll make sure of it. Con needs to know this, too.”
“I intended to tell him, but things didn’t go as planned.”
“Things rarely ever do.”
She chuckled. “That’s very true.”
“So, the dragons were no’ happy with the mortals being here.”
“That’s another reason we put up the barrier. Brandr and I ordered the dragons never to cross it. A few disobeyed and wreaked havoc on the humans. We disciplined them, of course. It wasn’t easy, but Brandr and I made things work. There were no excuses, no leniencies for either the humans or the dragons. Finally, eventually, things calmed down. Everyone stayed on their side of the barrier.”
Vaughn smiled, his eyes crinkling in the corners. “Impressive.”
“Not that impressive since you now know about the recent dragon rescue from the human city.”
He wrinkled his nose and half-heartedly shrugged. “It was resolved. When did you start visiting Earth?”
“Before the humans came. Brandr and I wanted to see our parents and your world for ourselves. We never stayed longer than a few hours.”
“Did you see Dreagan?”
“From a distance,” she said with a nod. “The magic there is so strong.”
Pride shone in his Persian blue eyes. “That’s why we chose it as the Dragon Kings’ home.”
“The pact I had with my brother was that we would never speak to any of the Kings.”
“Ever?” Vaughn asked in surprise.
She smiled sadly. “Ever.”
“No’ even your father?”
Eurwen shook her head. “After a while, we began splitting up so one of us was always here with the dragons. Neither of us asked the other what they did while on Earth. I think we both assumed that we did the same things as we had done together.”
“Except, you didna.”
“No.” She swallowed and glanced away. “I’ve never kept a secret from my brother. Until my time with you.”
Surprise flashed in Vaughn’s eyes. “You didna tell him?”
“Not until today.”
“I gather he didna take it well?”
“Not in the least.” She didn’t want to talk about Brandr and his thoughts right now. “I never intended to meet you. Or any of the Kings. I followed Rhi around a few times in recent years, watching her shop and get her nails done. But you…that night…” She shrugged. “I couldn’t have walked away had I wanted to.”
Vaughn linked his fingers with hers. “And in the morning?”
“I woke in your arms. I didn’t want to leave, but I knew if I didn’t, you’d wake and start asking me questions.”
“Like how I didna know you were part dragon?”
She winced, scrunching her face. She got up to walk off some of the energy building inside her. She paced, glancing at him to see his expression. “That was my doing. When I knew I couldn’t walk away from you, I used magic to shield myself from you.”
“So I wouldna clearly recall your face, the color of your hair, or what kind of magic you had?”
Hearing it made it sound awful, but at the time, it had been the easiest choice. “If you had known who I was, what I was, you would’ve bombarded me with questions and tried to force me to Dreagan. Or, worse, called Con to the village.”
“We know firsthand how strong a mix of dragon and Fae blood can be. You and Brandr are no’ the first.”
“You’re speaking of Melisse. The first Dragon Queen.”
“Is that no’ what you are?”
Eurwen laughed and shook her head. “I wouldn’t claim that role. Nor would Brandr claim to be a Dragon King.”
“You both can shift. You lead the dragons. I’d say you fit those roles exactly.”
“I’ve not really thought about it. We did what we were called to do.”
Vaughn got to his feet to step in front of her. “Like it or no’, you’re descended from royalty. I would call you a Dragon Queen.”
Could she? Why hadn’t she ever thought of herself as a Dragon Queen. Like Vaughn said, she could shift. Only Kings could do that. “I don’t have a clan. Not like you or my father.”
“You have all the clans.”
She smiled. “Yet, there’s only one Dragon King I want.”
He didn’t utter a word as she walked to him and placed her hands on his chest. She looked up into his eyes to see them smoldering with need. Her lips parted as her heart skipped a beat.
“We’re no’ done talking,” he murmured before pulling her against him, his mouth descending upon hers.
His lips ravaged hers with a kiss that could’ve set the entire realm on fire. Her arms wound around his neck, and his hands gripped her ass and pressed her to him so he could grind his cock against her.
Nothing had ever felt so good.
Nothing had ever felt so right.
And she knew that everything was about to change.
Chapter Nine
This was so much better than the dream. Vaughn feared he would never let Eurwen out of his sight again. She was his mate. He just wasn’t sure if she was aware of that or not.
Her lips were pliable, her skin smooth. Her body soft. Desire pulsed within him, demanding release, commanding the pleasure he knew awaited them both.
He groaned when her fingers slid into his hair, her nails gently scraping his scalp. The taste of her was heady, her harsh breaths making his blood run hotter than before. With a thought, he removed their clothes so they were skin to skin.
Eurwen tore he
r mouth from his and stared up at him, her pulse rapid in her throat. “You have no idea how much I want this.”
“Oh, I verra much do,” he said as he kissed her once more.
She turned him and began backing him from one room to another. When he felt the soft give of a mattress behind him, he lifted her off her feet, turned around, and set a knee on the bed as he lowered her, catching himself with a hand. He broke the kiss long enough to rise on both hands and look down at her.
Golden hair spread around her like a crown. Silver eyes ringed with pewter gazed up at him with the same yearning he felt. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. To finally have her in his arms once again, to know her name, only made the connection he felt for her grow firmer. Purer.
“You’re exquisite.”
She reached up and touched his face as she smiled softly. “No more talking,” she said and pulled him down for another kiss.
He moved his hand between their bodies and cupped her breast to gently massage it. His finger brushed over a turgid nipple, causing her to gasp. He thumbed the peak until she ground against him.
Then she flipped him onto his back and straddled him. He raked his gaze over her pale, unblemished skin. Her shoulders were slim, but the muscles in her arms, abdomen, and legs were defined. Her breasts were full, just barely overflowing his palm. Her dusky nipples were hard and waiting for his tongue.
He set his hands on the swell of her hips before caressing up to the indent of her waist and continuing to cup both breasts. Eurwen’s eyes closed, and her head dropped back, her hair brushing his legs as he began teasing both nipples. He lifted his hips so his cock rubbed against her sex.
She suddenly leaned forward, their eyes meeting as she braced her hands on his chest. She leaned down and softly brushed her lips over his before crawling backward. The moment she reached for his arousal, Vaughn grabbed her and pulled her back up.
“You did that to me this morning in the dream. I need to be inside you,” he said.
She gaped at him. “The dreams are real, then?”
He frowned. “What?”