Cole: House of Wilkshire ― Paranormal Dragon Shifter Romance

by Kathi S. Barton

  “Not as yet. But we’ll get to that.” Ryan told Bryce she was sorry. “Don’t be, Ryan. We’re all working on this, and I promise you that things will come out ahead for you guys in the end. The man in the car that was supposed to have driven into your parents told Roxanna he’d been murdered by Sandra as well. That he’d been just sitting in an alley waiting— Never mind. That doesn’t matter. She killed him, put him in the car, and then took him to the intersection to wait for your parents to go by. They were predictable, you see. Every Friday night, your parents would go to the same restaurant, and she knew the time they’d be coming by. Ramming into them was easy, I guess, as she only had to make sure the gas pedal was pushed hard enough to slam into them.”

  “That didn’t kill them, did it?” Dillon shook his head when Roxanna said that it hadn’t. “She murdered them when they didn’t die in the accident. Probably because they might take too long to die for her to collect. Christ, I wish every day that I’d just listened to everyone and not married that bitch.”

  When Dillon started to stand, it was Devon that went to him. Ryan didn’t know what he said to her brother, but he did sit down with them once again. She asked Bryce what it was that they could do.

  “This is what we’ve come up with. It’s a solid plan, and it will work. I’m of the opinion that Sandra is not nearly as smart as she thinks she might be. Also, this I’ve heard from several people; she also has a high opinion of herself. Is that about right?” They all three agreed. “Good. When we get to the courthouse, and we’ll all be there with you, I want you to not press charges against her.”

  “Let her go, you mean.” It was Cole who answered, telling Dillon that wasn’t it. “Then, I don’t understand. Do we want her to collect the money before we step in? Tell me what you have planned, and I promise you, I’ll do whatever it takes.”

  “You’re going to love this one.”

  After Cole explained what he wanted Dillon to do, Ryan could see that it might well work. Not only did Sandra hate to be proven wrong about anything she said, but she also had a hot temper when someone interrupted her when she was speaking. It would be fine if she did that to whoever she was talking to. But she lost it when you’d cut her off in favor of your own opinion. It didn’t even matter to her if she was wrong. Just don’t interrupt her.

  They were leaving tonight to go to the courthouse. Ryan had thought it would only be the three of them, but she was so much happier to know they’d be all there in force. Not only would it show that they were all behind what Dillon was supposed to do, but also that they were going to be there for him forever.

  Ryan packed an overnight bag and sat on the edge of the bed. She’d been staying with Kelly and her husband since she’d arrived. She looked at the doorway when someone cleared their throat, she smiled at Cole.

  “Are you ready to go? I know they said we’d only be there for a short time. But I was wondering if you wanted to take care of the things you left at the hotel and at your sister’s.” She patted the side of the bed. “Are you going to tell me you’d rather I didn’t go?”

  “No. Christ, no. I was going to ask you some things I’ve been thinking about. If you’d rather stay there, that’s fine too.” He nodded and moved into the room. However, instead of sitting on the bed, he sat on the floor in front of her, stretching out his legs in front of him. She smiled at him again. “You’re very comfortable with your body, aren’t you?”

  “Yes. I mean, it’s been mine since I can remember.” She laughed when he did. “Ask away. I’m here for you in whatever you want to know.”

  “Your home. It’s huge, isn’t it?” He told her how large it was. “Christ. Do you plan on filling that with children? I know the two of us might not be able to have kids of our own. Your sisters-in-law have been giving me tidbits of information every time I see them. It’s been both helpful and annoying, as you can well imagine.”

  “I can. They’re pushy. No, we might not be able to have our own children, but I don’t care about that. I’d be happy just to be able to raise them with you. Ask me what you’re trying to avoid.” She asked him the first question. “Do I want you to work? That’s not my decision. I have a feeling you enjoy working for the sake of staying busy. Same as myself. I can’t stand to be idle. Does that answer your question?”

  “It does. So, do you think we can see your home before we leave?” He corrected her. “Okay, if you say so—our home before we leave? I’m very nervous about what you might expect me to do as the head of a household. That’s what Kelly told me I’d be doing. Running a very large home with an endless supply of money to make it work. That scares me a little.”

  “It shouldn’t. Yes, while not endless, we do have income that is more than most people make in a years’ time coming in daily. And you’ll have a staff that will answer only to you. I know you’re neat and like things in order.” He snapped his fingers. “I have someone that would like to work with you. Every dragon has a faerie they use for all kinds of things. I have one as well. Right now, she’s getting the staff ready for you to meet them. Your faerie, should you want him, is Watson. I believe he got his name from a television show. I think at one time he was going by Brown. This, I believe, suits him much better.”

  Cole asked her to put out her hand. When she did, the tiniest little person she’d ever seen flew to her and landed there. Pulling him closer to her face to get a good look at him, he bowed low and told her his name.

  “My lady. I must say you are a very beautiful creature.” She thanked him. “I can do things for you that you might need me to do. I will also protect you with my life. And before you think to yourself what is a little person going to do to protect me, then I shall show you.”

  All he did was whistle. It wasn’t a tune or any kind of music other than a shrill sound. Before she could ask him what that was supposed to do, Ryan noticed they were no longer alone in the room. It was, quite literally, filled with more of the tiny people. But they were armed with swords and at the ready. It was the only way she thought to describe what they looked like to her.

  “That was really fast.” Watson told her they were forever ready. “I can see that. But what if I’m kidnapped or something like that? How long will it take you to assemble? Also, if it is all right with you guys, I’d like for some of you to be watching out for my sister and brother. They’re all the family I have left, you know.”

  “We’re your family too, mistress.” She felt her face heat up when Watson pointed that out to her. “Also, Lord Cole here. He’s a big dragon, you know, and will protect you better than even we can.”

  “I’m sorry.” Cole told her it was fine. He was something to get used to. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that either. I’m just not used to people being...I’m not at all used to people being nice to me. I’m sure I can get used to it. You’ve been the nicest man I’ve ever met, to be honest with you. I’m sort of waiting for the other shoe to drop, you might say. It’s like I’ve been waiting my entire life for it to drop, and it usually does.”

  “Thank you.” Cole stood up and pulled her from the bed. “Come on. We’ll go and see the house and see what sort of changes you’d like to make to it.”

  When they went into the back yard, she wondered if they were going to walk. But when he stepped back from her, several feet, she had to wonder what he was up to. Watson landed on her shoulder and told her not to scream. It was all the warning she got before she was staring at a huge dragon.

  Unsure what she was supposed to do with him levitating about ten feet from the ground, she asked the dragon if he could hear her. Sitting down on the lawn, she watched as the big creature not only sat down but laid down on the grass so that his nose was right in front of her. Their size difference was just too much to ignore. Ryan refused to be afraid of his dragon and put out her hand to touch him. She was amazed at how hot his breath was.

  “I was just thinking about how hot yo
u are, and I would imagine that your breath would need to be hot. Can you blow fire over things?” He told her he could. “I wondered how I was going to know what you were saying. So you can connect with me as well.”

  I can. We are different, my human and I. You can talk to either of us if you wish. Or both. ‘Tis up to you. She nodded. Putting her hand to his nose, she could feel that he was hard, like a rock. He was also covered in ridges all over where she could see him. I am covered in scales so that nothing can pierce my heart. And when it is necessary to protect all that I love, I can change yet again and be covered in my armor. One that is dangerous for you to be this close to. I shall show it to you the next time.

  “I’d like that.” She moved to where his legs were under him. One of his claws, bigger than she was as it lay flat on the ground, seemed to be dug deep into the earth so that she couldn’t see the tip. “I would imagine you can claw your way out of almost anything with these. They’re very sharp, aren’t they?”

  The dragon pulled the paw, she thought was what it might be called, from the dirt, and she could see that it went well deeper into the earth than she’d thought. Touching her fingers to it, she was careful of the small blades on the nail. Ryan wondered at the few that were missing. He must have been injured when he was helping the humans when he was younger.

  “What shall I call you?” He asked her what she meant. “You said you’re separate from Cole the man. Do you have a name I can call you if I need you? I don’t know what that would be when I would need you, but it would be nice that I can call you to protect us both should something happen to Cole.”

  You may call me Dragon if you wish. Or any name you can think of. But if you were to call for me, calling for your dragon, I would think it would be much scarier to the people that will be dead soon after I come to you. She smiled at him as she walked around to the other side of his large head. Do you trust me, mistress?

  “I’m not sure. I don’t not trust you. Does that make sense?” He said he didn’t understand. “I trust that you won’t crush me. I also trust that you will not eat me. But other than that, I don’t know what I feel toward you. Will you be loyal to me?”

  Forever. She hadn’t expected that answer from him and stepped back from him so she could see into his eyes. They, too, were bigger than her entire body. She asked him if he’d protect Cole over her. No. Without you, there will be no Cole. Without you around, there will be no reason for us to draw our next breath. If something should happen to you, be it harmed or worse, I shall only wish to lie down to never rise again. I will have failed you in keeping you safe, and I will not be able to live with myself should I let that happen.

  She popped him hard on the nose. “That’s the stupidest thing you could have ever said. What if I fall down the stairs? Or turn my ankle because I wasn’t paying attention? What would you do then? Still lay yourself down and die?” She smacked him a second time and saw tears fill his eyes. “Did that hurt? I hope so. Because when you say things like that, you hurt me as well. You cannot think I’ll be all right with you laying down your life for me because I’m clumsy.”

  Perhaps I was wrong about protecting you, my lady. Perhaps it should be you that is protecting us. His laughter echoed into her head. You are a hero to me. A warrior that will protect all that you love. Yes, I will be there for you and will not lie down and die because you might have slipped. He stood up over her. His body was as large as any building she’d ever been around. I shall show you the world.

  Before she could know his intentions, she was being picked up by the dragon. Holding on tightly to the very claws that had scared her just a little, she felt the wind from his wings surround her. The trees swayed back and forth from the tremendous amount of force he was making. When they were high in the sky, she could see so much from the perch in his hand.

  ~*~

  Cole would have flown around the world if they’d had the time. Her laughter coming from his palm had made him feel like he’d never felt before. When they’d landed in the yard not long ago, the one behind their home, he could feel her disappointment as if he were wearing it. He was going to make sure he took her on all kinds of short rides so she’d be as happy as she’d made him.

  “The kitchen is huge, isn’t it? I can cook, but I don’t enjoy it. I guess the others know how to cook. The other dragons, I mean.” He told her they all learned to cook from Devon’s grandma. “Susanna is a wonderful person. But you can’t let that stodgy appearance fool you. She can be mean when she needs to be. Oh, look at this, Cole. It’s a wonderful window.”

  “It wasn’t here when I moved in. Some of the faeries asked if they could make some changes to the place, and since I’d not met you, I told them to have fun. This is the lady of the earth, if I remember. I’ve not seen her in a very long time.” The mural was simply breathtaking. It was so colorful he almost didn’t want to stop looking at it. Cole did look at Ryan. “They’ll change it out if you don’t care for it.”

  “You’d do that, wouldn’t you?” He nodded. “No. I love it. But I can tell you right now, this isn’t going to work if you don’t tell me your feelings too. You can’t be thinking I’ll just go along with you not having opinions about shit. If you like this, then say, ‘I really like this and would like for it to stay.’ Believe it or not, I’m not a monster.”

  “I know you’re not. My plan is to make this place so nice you’ll want to live here with me forever.” She said nothing as she moved out of the kitchen toward the dining room. Cole looked over at Faith when she tisked at him. “What? I’m trying to make sure she’s happy.”

  “Yet you pissed her off. Do you not have opinions other than the ones that she has?” He said he did. “Then you should tell her them instead of thinking to revolve the world around her. I don’t think she’ll care for that any more than any of the other women in this family would.”

  “I think you might be right.” Faith tisked at him again. “Now what I have I done wrong? I’m going to work on this. I swear it.”

  “I’ve no doubt that you will, my lordship. Yet your mate is in the other room crying.” He asked why. “I’m sure it has something to do with you being such a...I believe it is called a wishy-washy person. She needs strength more than she needs you to be such a...pussy about things. I am learning new words from Lady Bryce and the other women.”

  “Yes, well, you should look those words up before you use them.” She said she had, and she thought they suited him just fine. “I’ve never had a mate before. I’m sort of learning as I go in this.”

  “You should learn faster before she takes a bat to your head. My lord.” He had a feeling he was going to have to tell Faith not to hang out with the others for a while. She was beginning to sound like them more and more. “Also, she has something to tell you. It will break her heart to have to tell you as well. Do not look for it. It is her story to tell. Not one for you to look into and jump to conclusions. In this, I believe that you shall.”

  “Is that what makes her scream at night? The thing she must tell me?” She nodded and looked toward the doorway where Ryan had gone. “I’m in love with her, Faith. There is nothing I’d not do for her. Ever.”

  “Sometimes it’s not what you do for someone that they need you for, your lordship. But that you are willing to listen to the story until it is finished. I think you to be safer should you try that once in a while.” Cole asked if he should ask her about it. “Nay. You do that, and she will not trust that you’ve not looked on your own. Just allow her to come to you. She will when she trusts you as much as I do.”

  “You think that will be soon?” Faith said that would be up to her. “Yes, all right. I’ll wait. But I don’t like it.”

  “Of course you do not. As I said before, you are a most impatient man when it comes to getting things done. It is what brought you down once before. Remember that?” He told her he did, then shivered at the memories of it. “I remember it
as well. You will need to be calm before you break your heart, and in turn, break hers as well. Calm. Say it with me. I will stay calm from now on.”

  He repeated it several times as he made his way into the dining room. Ryan was sitting at the long table there and talking to a few of the faeries. When they saw him, they smiled larger than he’d ever seen them smile before. Cole sat down at the table across from her and waited for her to tell him what was going on.

  “I’ve fallen in love with this room, but I don’t think it’s wide enough. I mean, it has this beautiful table here that Watson was telling me you’ve had for a long time. But there is very little room on either side of it to walk around. See?” She got up and pulled the chair out again to about the width of someone sitting in it. She was right, there was barely enough room for her to get behind the chair, and she was tinier than he was. “I would think if there were enough people in here, the other dragons especially, there would be no room for anyone to be served. They’re going to see about expanding this room. I don’t know what that would entail, but they said it would be a piece of cake.”

  “Have a seat over here and watch.”

  She moved toward him without any hesitation. As soon as she was seated, the faeries, about a thousand of them, moved to the wall Ryan wanted to be enlarged, and the wall disappeared. After that, they managed to put in bigger windows with murals in them, including the top, as they moved the wall out several feet. The entire room looked like it was built this way rather than just being remodeled. Even the table he’d always thought too narrow was widened and fit nicely with the bigger room.

  “There you go. And I love the addition of the windows too. They alone make the room look much larger.”

  Ryan got up and moved to the windows. She and Watson, who seemed to be in charge of the addition, talked for a few moments before he moved toward the other faeries. In seconds, the windows were floor to ceiling, and there were now two large corner cabinets that Cole just realized were going to be needed.