Cole: House of Wilkshire ― Paranormal Dragon Shifter Romance

by Kathi S. Barton

  “Are you going to listen this time? My lord.” She added that last bit because she wanted to let him know how mad she was at him. “I’m sure that what I have told you three times now is considered old news and should be updated by now. They are finished with the panels that you found in the warehouse yesterday. They are not the ones you thought them to be.”

  “The panels were the only ones in the place. How can they not be the ones I’m looking for?” She growled at him. “I’m not asking you, Honey. I’m speaking to myself. I so wanted those to be put into the nursery I was planning to surprise Aisling with. Why are you so sure they’re not the ones I wanted?”

  “They have naked women on them, sir. A naked man too, but he is...he is with all the women.” Now he remembered the panel. “The one you told us to look for and to clean up was supposed to have had babies on it. Not the act of making them.”

  Matthew laughed, which didn’t make Honey any happier with him. “Perhaps that was what I was thinking. That the panels had ideas on making babies.” He laughed when she pinked up in anger. “Take that one to the shop Noah is working on. Might as well see if we can make a few coins from it while it’s cleaned up. What do you say?”

  “I say that should you see this thing, you’d want it destroyed. It is the most obscene thing I’ve ever seen.” He didn’t bother reminding her that it had been made in a different time, and more than likely would have been in some very wealthy man’s mistress’s bedroom. “I shall take it to the shop and let them deal with it. I should never want to see that again.”

  “Don’t be a prude, Honey. I honestly didn’t remember there might be more than one of those things I was looking for.” She nodded and sat down on his leg. “I’m glad they’re cleaning the place out. I’m sure that over the next few centuries, we’ll be filling it out again. There is nothing wrong with keeping things to share but to keep them because you hate to see them go to waste is another thing entirely. They’ve become waste anyway.”

  “Did you know that the ladies of the houses are making sure we have enough material to make our homes warmer? Just yesterday, there was a large stack of scraps of cloth put out that we can have. I’ve never seen such colors.” He told her he’d heard that was happening. “And glass too. Bits of it so we can put colorful windows in our own homes. I have two doors now that are colorful and bright.”

  “Aisling was telling me there are places that are giving them the wood they can no longer use in their places of business. All sorts of lengths and widths that can be made into anything you need.” He’d heard about the flowers too. That had him laughing at the oddest times. “Do you suppose the seeds that were ordered from the catalog are as good as the ones that you guys saved up? I don’t mean to imply that they’re of better quality than yours, but just a curious question for you.”

  “They’re not of superior quality, no. But now that we have seeds to work with, or even saplings to grow again, we can give them the boost they need to make sure they’re as good as the ones we’ve lost. The gardens will be fuller this year from the hunting that Lady Bryce and her family has done for us. The seed drier is a good thing to have. No longer will we have to wait for days on end to make a batch that can be put into bags to store. What do you know of gems, my lord?” He asked her what she meant. Their worth? What they were called? “Their worth. I was only to ask you about them then say no more. But I don’t think this is a good thing to leave unanswered. Understand?”

  “No. Not really. Did someone ask you to ask me about gems’ worth? Or are you asking because you don’t know?” She told him she’d found some, with another faerie. “Where did you find them, Honey? I mean, were they, you think, the stash of another dragon?”

  “I don’t believe so. They are marking the walls to a great deep tunnel below the mountain beyond. They’re not piled up as a dragon would do, but some are still within the walls. Others are just lying about in the water there. The mountain that you and Lady Aisling have picnics at.” He nodded, wondering whether, if the faeries knew they were there having a picnic, did they also know that they made love quite often up there? “There is a small opening, small enough for only one of us to enter. Patrick and I were mushroom hunting, and we entered there when the rains came. Being curious, we followed the tunnel to an opening on the other end. It’s larger there, but still not big enough for a man to walk through.”

  “What sort of gems did you find?” She told him. “Diamonds are very expensive. But if there are a great many of them, you wouldn’t bring them out all at once. They’ll be worth less if you were to do that. Did you and Patrick have an idea what you were going to use the gems for?”

  “You’d not take them from us?” Matthew thought this was why she’d brought it up. He told her he’d not found them; she had. “Patrick said you’d want them for yourself. I think that I shan’t be with him anymore as a friend. He has been telling everyone that he will be rich someday. What use does a faerie have to be rich? He cannot even turn bigger like you.”

  “Greed? I’m not sure if I know Patrick or not, so I have no way of knowing his mind. But I’d never take anything from you, Honey. You and he found the gems, and I feel they’re yours to keep and do with what you wish. If you need help getting them out of the mountain, it would be my pleasure to help you with that.”

  “I thought you would say that. Despite what Patrick thinks.” He waited for her to say more. There were rules she’d have to follow if she and Patrick were to bring the gems out of the mountain. “I’m going to go to the lady of the earth to allow her to tell us what to do with such a treasure. I think Patrick will be most upset with me, but I’m fearful of doing the wrong thing with them. Talking to you, has made me feel stronger about talking to her.”

  “Are you afraid of the lady of the earth, Honey?” She nodded and looked around as if she might sneak up on them. “I know for a fact that she’s a fair and wonderful person. She might well know that the gems are there. I would think, and this is just my opinion, that you should allow her to tell you if they belong to another. Or if she knows of them being there, and will allow you and Patrick to bring them out.”

  “I will do that.” She stood up and turned to look at him before flying away. “I will return shortly to tell you what she has said to me. But I would be happy too if you were to keep me safe should Patrick not like what I have done. He told me not to tell anyone, especially the lady. I am of a mind like you are. I do not wish to be in trouble over this.”

  Matthew got up from the ground and made his way to the lazy pond that was on his property. He had always wondered where in the mountain the waterway came from. Now he’d bet that it had something to do with the one Honey had found. Leaning over, he picked a small diamond out of the water and put it in his pocket. He’d been picking them up since the day he’d moved into this home. Matthew was nearly to his house when Patrick showed up.

  “Where is she?” He asked the little creature who he was talking about. “Honey. She and I had an agreement, and now she’s messed it all up. She wasn’t to tell anyone what we have found.”

  “What is it you’ve found?” He backed from him, and Matthew saw the sword that was hanging on his side. “What have you in mind to do with that, Patrick? Hurt one of your own? Tell me.”

  “She said it would be ours to share, but I no longer trust her to share with me. If she is gone, then I can have it all to myself.” Matthew made no move to indicate that the lady of the earth had joined them. Honey was with her. “If she is dead, I can have all the gems to myself.”

  “What would have been your plan with them? You cannot cash them in. They’re deep in the stone, I was told.” Patrick started cursing and swinging the blade that was now in his hand. “To harm a dragon is death, Patrick. You know that too. You put that away, and I won’t have to harm you to save myself.”

  “You know too much.” The blade came within an inch of his face. “You must die.”


  “Stop.” Patrick stopped swinging this blade at him. It took Matthew a moment to realize that it wasn’t because he stopped by himself, but the lady had stopped him. When Patrick disappeared, Matthew bowed down on his knee before her. “He wished to harm you, Lord Matthew. I am sorry for that. I have only just spoken to Honey here on the gems she has found. I would like, with your permission, to leave them there. They are a fallback, I believe the humans call them, in the event that we need things from the human world.”

  “You need not worry over the gems at all, my lady. And if you were to need anything from the human world, you know that any one of us would get it for you.” She told him to rise up. Matthew did so, and Honey came to land on his shoulder. “She was right in telling you all, I’m thinking.”

  “She was. I have rewarded her too. Honey will take out as many gems as she can carry when she goes there and use them as she sees fit.” The lady smiled. “She has told me of the things the ladies of the family are doing for them. She only wishes to make them a trinket for their help. I think that a splendid idea.”

  “I do, as well. It will be something they will treasure for a long time too.” The lady looked at Honey and told her she was promoted to first faerie. That meant she’d have her own group of faeries that she would command. It was a great honor for anyone to receive. “Thank you for that, my lady. I did fear that I was overworking Honey. This way, she will be less stressed too.”

  After the lady left them, Honey stopped him from going into the house. She looked upset with something, and he asked her what was going on. When she bowed her head, he asked her to look at him.

  “I got Patrick killed. My heart hurts from that.” Matthew told her he’d done that all on his own when he’d tried to harm him. “But he wouldn’t have done it had I not told.”

  “Do you think it was the right thing to do to tell on him?” She nodded. “Then you have nothing to feel guilty about, Honey. Had he not attacked me this way, I know he would have killed you given the chance. Even had you not told anyone, he would have let his greed of it justify killing you. You did the correct thing.”

  Matthew handed over the diamonds he’d been picking up. There were about two dozen of them. The two of them worked on the first bracelet of the ones she was going to make. Just before it was finished, Honey pulled out a larger ruby and fitted it in the middle of the chain.

  “I think that to be perfect, my lord.” Using her own magic, she linked the diamonds together to form a chain. “It will size itself for the wearer. I think too that I shall make it so that it never leaves their wrist. I believe they’d be much upset should they were to lose it. Don’t you think?”

  “I do. It’s lovely. I know they’ll each wear it with pride too.” She thanked him and handed him the first bracelet. “You should give it to them. This will be much nicer coming from you.”

  “Nay, this one is for you, my lord. For saving my life and keeping me from being in trouble. For each of these diamonds, I love you triple their worth.”

  When she fitted it over his wrist, he felt the love and the magic that had gone into making it. Matthew was glad she’d given it to him.

  Epilogue

  Cole loved his family, especially when they were all able to get together like they were now. Well, not all of them, but the ones that had begun this journey in making a place for the dragons. He glanced over at his mate, who was swollen with their second child, seeing the sparkle of the bracelet that all the women and men wore, and wondered, as he did every hour of every day, how he’d gotten to be so lucky in having such a wonderful person as his mate. His son, Baxter, came to sit on the swing with him. He was nearly twelve now, his face filling out with muscle instead of baby fat. Cole was glad they’d waited twenty years to have children. It had given him the much needed time to see the world with Ryan. She winked at him as she chased after one of Dillon’s children.

  Now there was a man who had a lot of children. Devon had told him right after Dillon’s fourth child had been born that he had predicted Dillon and Heart would have a lot of children. The two of them now had ten, five of each, none of them born singly, but in twos and threes. They’d all learned something when the children started coming around too. That pixies, unlike other small creatures, were born with wings and magic.

  From their first breath, they could fly. Not only that, but they could most assuredly cause trouble by just being around the kids. Not really trouble, but it was sometimes the highlight of his day to see what they’d gotten into. Three of their children had been caught at one thing or another since they’d come into the world. Cole was glad that Dillon was a good father and seemed to have more patience than most. Heart simply loved them all.

  Rylie and William had three little ones. The three of them that had lived had been born as fae. One, the last one they’d had, was born human and had died almost as soon as she’d been birthed. Cole didn’t know who had taken her death harder, Rylie or her sister. William was heartbroken, but he held strong for his mate. Cole hoped never to have to go through what the two of them had. But rather than pulling them apart as it did humans, Cole thought they were all stronger for it. But every day, he could see that they were dealing with the loss of one so small.

  They’d told him it was the power. No matter what they were born as the power of fae came to them. The little girl’s body just couldn’t handle such an overwhelming amount being given to her. Hugging his son when he said he was going to play with his cousins, he felt happy that his son was still happy to hug him when others were around.

  “I have an idea that you’re being sappy again.” He asked Ryan why she’d think that as she sat down where Baxter had been sitting. “Just an idea. I get so worn out when just walking about anymore. It’s like I’m carrying the weight of the world around my waist. Have you heard from Devon and Kelly?”

  They had gone on a trip over a year ago. If anyone were to ask, it was just to see the world. But in reality, they’d made this special trip to go and see as many dragon clans as they could. Devon told him that he couldn’t believe the conditions some of them were living in.

  “Why aren’t they making themselves gems to get into a better situation?” Devon told him he’d asked them the same thing. “I’m sure they think they have a really good answer for that. Tell me, is it because they’re afraid of getting into trouble with you?”

  At some point between the previous king and Devon, dragons had been told not to sell off their gems or any of their stash because that would bring the law down on their heads. Then the king would kill them. It had been difficult for Kelly and Devon at first, but as word spread that he wasn’t going to kill anyone, the more places they visited, there was work going on to improve the lifestyle of the dragons he came upon.

  The trip was coming to an end now, and they were expecting them to be home in the coming fall. Cole missed him a great deal. And Kelly. She was fun to be around, and her and Ryan, with the rest of the women, knew how to get things done.

  “I’ve only heard that they’re making their way back and will be here by Thanksgiving for sure. Then when they return, Dillon and Heart will be leaving for their other home.” Dillon and Heart were the king and queen of the pixies. Every time they left, it felt like a huge hole was in his heart. “Thankfully, they’ll only be gone for a few months instead of over a year. It’s good that they can go there and work to come home to all of us.”

  Having Dillon around to hang out with was more fun than he’d had with any of the other dragons. They were brothers in all ways except for blood. They also worked on several projects together and enjoyed that as well. Even when Dillon was away, they kept in touch almost daily. Usually, it was work related, but more and more lately, it was just to check in with each other.

  After Ryan said she was going to go and see to the children, he watched her as all the pixies came and landed on her shoulders and arms. They loved their au
nt. However, Cole wasn’t surprised when two of them, the little boys, came to sit with him on the swing. They stayed their little size as he rocked them gently.

  “Girls are goofy. Why would they want to go and have tea when there is so much to do outside? I don’t think I’ll ever find me a mate. They take up too much of your time.” Spoken like a true ten-year-old. That was another thing Cole had figured out. Children were children no matter what they were born as. “Uncle Cole, why did you want to have Aunt Ryan as a mate? Wasn’t there, I don’t know, somebody else that you’d rather have around? I know you can’t marry a cousin or anything, but I’d sure like to be able to find me one that I can have fun with.”

  “I’m sure as you get older, you’ll change your mind about that as well.” Hal told him that he wasn’t going to fall for that either. Women changing his mind on this. “I’m sure you’ve talked this over with your dad, right? What did he say to you about finding a mate.”

  “He said it would just hit you right between the eyes, and you’d wonder why you ever thought you could do without.” Hal looked up at him. “It sounds like one of them mushy cards he buys for Mom. He buys her flowers too. Then she looks at him like he’s a big peanut butter sandwich with marshmallows on it. I’m never gonna look at a girl like that. It’s repulsive if you ask me.”

  Cole let his laughter go. Kids. He certainly did love hanging out with them. He learned so much from them that he wondered why someone didn’t write a book. That had him thinking of the books his sister-in-law had been writing. She was a best seller, world known, and was having the best time of her life when she was asked to chair things in regard to her ability to write such wonderful stories. They all contributed to the books. It was, he thought, another family thing that they were all proud of.

  The boys left him when he told them that love was the grandest emotion they’d ever experience. That it really did hit you between the eyes, and you’d never think of life again without having your mate by your side. Hal told him he’d rather get sick on his favorite sandwich than kiss a girl. Of course, that had Cole in tears; he was laughing so hard.