“We are ticklish,” Leo admitted, his mouth wreathed in a grin. “Please stop.”
“It’ll be my secret weapon.”
Leo snorted, and everything in her softened. She leaned closer to kiss him, enjoying the slide of her breasts against his pecs. The instant their lips met, something clicked inside her, almost like a key sliding into a lock. Everything about this moment seemed right. Perfect. She sighed against his mouth and explored his lips with her tongue.
Leo took over the kiss, and she let him, instead focusing on the heat of his mouth, the way his touch propelled sensual flames through her veins. The solid strength of him and the way he excited her made her happy. So happy, but strangely, this emotion seemed fresh and unusual as if everything was new. But, given the short duration of their marriage, she supposed it was a novelty.
Her hands roved his muscles—his arms and pecs—before she wriggled down his body. Smiling, she ran her fingers over his belly, using a firm pressure rather than seeking to tease. His nostrils flared, his regard steady as she lifted off him.
“You must train a lot to maintain your fitness and strength.” Gwenyth pulled a face. “It pains me to ask because I know this stuff, but every time I try to access the information, my head aches.”
His big hand landed on her thigh. “It’s not important, my lodestone. Your memories will return in time.”
“You hope,” she retorted.
“I hope,” he agreed. “But it’s not so bad getting to know me—us—again, is it?”
“I’m worried you’ll get impatient.” The words emerged without thought, and they shocked her. Leo didn’t seem the intolerant type. He had given no irritated comebacks, not a hint of exasperation. Yet a sense of discord troubled her.
A mystery something lurked in the depths of her mind.
Something worrying.
This Tony?
She had no idea.
“Never, my lodestone. Never.”
His words should’ve reassured her, yet an instinct gnawed and worried at the black hole in her mind. Confusion fluttered in her stomach and tightened her chest. Her thoughts froze—the ones she could still access, at least.
He’d shown her nothing except support and kindness and…and love.
“My lodestone, as much as I’d enjoy making love with you, why don’t we wait? Your mind is elsewhere. I’m here. You’re here. We have all the time in the world.”
Leo’s tone was soothing and full of empathy. Not a trace of aggravation oozed from him, yet her tension rose. A memory of a blow. A slap across the face.
Gwenyth forced a smile. “Maybe you’re right. My head is aching again.”
“Don’t let your apprehension win. Think of this as an opportunity for us to fall in love a second time.”
She melted as Leo drew her into his brawny arms. He kissed her with a gentleness that had her mind returning to sex.
She wanted him.
Fact.
Which made her hesitation and wandering mind more puzzling.
She yawned without warning, and Leo laughed—the sound low and musical.
“And you’re also exhausted. You’ve had an eventful day. Try to sleep.”
Gwenyth wanted to object, yet she couldn’t stop her eyes from closing and another yawn escaping. She wasn’t sure whether it was the blow to her head or something else, but everything about Leo seemed unfamiliar. It was part of the reason she’d wanted to make love with him—to reconnect, or at least to reestablish the bonds they’d enjoyed before her accident had jolted her out of her standard groove.
Although her eyes were closed, she strained to recall the boat capsizing and came up blank. Even thinking about this mystery Tony propelled shards of pain through her skull. She frowned into her pillow because nothing made sense. Trying to force the memories hurt, so she released her worry and let sleep take her.
By the time she woke, night had turned to morning. She rolled over and discovered she was alone in the gigantic bed. The sheets on the far side held no body warmth. Where was Leo? Unaccountably, his absence bothered her.
She slid off the bed and dressed in the stack of clothes she found on the dresser—a pair of tight-fitting black trousers—slightly too big for her—and a warm shirt that hung to mid-thigh. In the kitchen, she discovered a note from Leo, which she skimmed. At least he’d left a note. His thoughtfulness counteracted her pique.
A yip sounded from behind her, the pup pleased to see her.
She smiled and crouched beside the wolf to scratch behind her ears. “It looks as if we’re on our own, pup.” At least for the morning while Leo took care of shifting his cattle. “Let’s find something for you to eat.”
By the time she’d fed the wolf, and herself and cleaned up, the morning was well advanced. The pup followed her around, and Gwenyth even took her for a brief walk outside.
Gwenyth made a pot of tea and settled to enjoy the view of the valley. With the warm sun shining on her face, she drifted close to sleep.
A loud thump jerked her upright. The wolf-pup darted behind her legs and growled. Gwenyth bolted upright to gape at the scarlet dragon hovering before her. The creature sat on the balcony, his wings wafting the air.
The dragon wasn’t as big as Leo in his beast form, but the red creature loomed. Its narrowed eyes and pissed attitude raised her hackles.
“Who are you?” she demanded. “What do you want?” She eyed the dragon and frowned at his enormous maw. Sharp white teeth sparkled in the light, and Gwenyth swallowed her alarm.
Belatedly, she noticed the dragon carried a leather pouch. The bag dropped at her feet with another noisy thud. Gwenyth started. She edged away, fear growing as the dragon’s eyes glowed red to match its scaly hide.
The creature’s scales shimmered, and it shifted in front of her to reveal an older man. A naked older man with an irritated expression. After one quick peek, she kept her gaze at face level.
“Who are you?” the man demanded. “Where is Leonidas?”
“I asked first,” Gwenyth snapped.
The man drew himself up, his raised chin displaying arrogance and disinterest. “I am the butler to Tudoarreo, The Dragon Lord, and Qille, The Taker of Life, the parents of Leonidas, Champion of the Skies.” With this pronouncement, he scooped up the leather pouch and opened it. Seconds later, he produced a paper tube. A ruby-red seal ensured tampering wouldn’t go unnoticed. “Where is Leonidas?”
“He is busy shifting his cattle,” Gwenyth said.
“You are?”
“I’m Leo’s wife,” Gwenyth said. If he was Leo’s parents’ butler, shouldn’t he know her identity already, or at least know of her?
“Leo doesn’t have a wife,” the butler spoke in a harsh voice, and wily amusement seeped into his features. “Ah, I understand now. He’s a sly one. You refused to sleep with him, so now he’s stringing you along.”
“That’s not true,” Gwenyth said, stung at the dragon’s implications.
“Whatever,” the butler said with a shrug. “Make sure Leonidas gets this communication from the castle. It is most important.”
“Of course,” Gwenyth said, accepting the tube.
Indignant heat flushed her cheeks. Angry words tickled the tip of her tongue, but she bit them back, not wanting to give this arrogant naked butler the satisfaction. The cruel twist of his lips told her, he didn’t care if he’d hurt her. He reveled in the pain and confusion she hadn’t hidden.
She lifted her chin. “If that’s all, you can go now. I’ll make sure Leo receives this.”
The butler sniffed, even as he shifted forms and increased in size. A puff of smoke drifted toward her, and the butler curled his upper lip a few seconds before he spread his wings and used his back legs to spring from the deck.
Gwenyth watched the red dragon until he vanished.
Not married.
The butler had spoken with certainty. Gwenyth paced, her agitation increasing instead of reducing. On realizing she was crushing the correspo
ndence, she took it inside and flung the tube onto the counter. She scowled at it for a long moment before stomping back outside. The wolf-pup released an anxious yip, sensing her unease.
“Shush, sweetie.” Gwenyth squatted beside the pup and scratched her behind the ears. “We need to give you a name. That will give me something to think about instead of wanting to yell and shriek.” As she continued to pat the wolf, her ring finger caught her attention. That faint white indentation she’d noticed earlier. Her list of questions continued to grow.
She walked to the end of the deck, her gaze gliding over tree-covered hills as far as she could see. Sunlight glinted on the water in the stream. She scanned the sky and was relieved to find it free of dragons. The last thing she needed was more unexpected visits from dragons who were big enough to eat her in two or three bites.
Funny, but Leo didn’t scare her in the manner of this mystery butler. He hadn’t given her his name, just his position. Another question for Leo. Did she have a title? Everyone else seemed to have one.
The hours passed, and she and Jenny—the wolf-pup—went inside to think about cooking dinner. She found herbs and spices and other ingredients plus utensils and pots by trial and error. Frustration bubbled up when it took several attempts to locate a wooden spoon. These were tiny things, yet her lack of familiarity filled her with irritation. She and Leo spent a lot of time here and minimal at his parents’ castle, so shouldn’t she recall where she stored things? Nothing about this situation was logical. Nothing slid into her memory with a relaxed awareness. Nothing screamed routine.
Right now, her world comprised of a blank, and it was the most vexing thing.
7 – The Truth Comes Knocking
Leo hated leaving Gwenyth alone, but he’d had no option. Not with the tasks he needed to complete. He’d woken Gwenyth twice during the long night. She’d grumbled at him and gone back to sleep, her irritation reassuring him of her health.
He flew directly to the kill site and buried the dead wolf. With that grisly task done, he followed the trail. It ended in a large clearing, which pointed the finger at a dragon killing the wolves. Although he had the scent in his mind now, nothing about the pungent aroma triggered a clue of the culprit’s identity.
His dragon, who had remained quiet to this point, let out a yawn. “I don’t understand why a dragon would kill a wolf and remove the carcass. If they were hungry, why not steal one of your cows? That’s what I’d do. They’d be much tastier than a stringy wolf.”
“Unless it’s a message,” Leo said. “The rest of the wolf pack has left the area. I have seen no footprints or smelled fresh territory marking since we arrived. The place stinks of fear.”
“Yes,” his dragon agreed.
“I’m shifting this herd of cattle to the pastures below the cottage. Safer for my sanity.”
“We intended to move them to the lower pastures soon, anyway. Let’s hurry so we can get back to Gwenyth. I like her,” his dragon purred.
Leo did too, and he wished his conscience hadn’t talked him into forgoing lovemaking the previous night. Holding Gwenyth in his arms had turned into pure torture. Of the sweetest kind—certainly—but he ached to claim her.
His integrity chose that moment to kick him in the butt. He should tell her the truth—they weren’t married, but he craved that tie to her. She’d started asking questions, and his excuse that she should recover her memories on her own held shades of murky gray.
“I need to confess,” he whispered.
“It’s been one day. Can’t we wait a little longer?” his dragon pleaded. “We haven’t made love to her yet. She smells sooooo good.”
“Our saving grace is we haven’t reached that point.”
His dragon’s snort rippled through his mind. “You’re too honorable. Considering your parents and your older brothers, it’s unique. You’re nothing like the rest of your family.”
“I left and made my own way. Had I stayed, my character might’ve formed differently. Having another dragon pummeling me focused my mind, and any deluded notions of privilege bled out of me with my blood.”
“I miss those days.”
“Me too,” Leo said. “Fighting in the competitions was less complicated. Now, we fight through a quagmire of intrigue. Danger lurks each time we set foot in the castle. The bloody walls have eyes. All that posturing to earn favors. There’s scarcely an honest dragon amongst them. My family, the nobles, and the common shifters.”
Leo approached his lead cow and ran his hand along her back.
“Home,” he stated and slapped her on the rump.
Soon, the cattle massed and ambled toward the lower pastures.
“There’s one missing.” Leo counted his cows and calves. He scanned the pasture and went hunting. His cattle seldom wandered alone, preferring to stick close to each other. He scented the air, allowing his dragon to take more control.
“Nothing,” his dragon said.
“We’ll take to the air.” Leo released full control, and the transformation slid across his skin. An instant later, he sprang upward, the powerful beat of his wings taking him airborne.
He flew over the pasture then skimmed the treetops, using his nose and eyes as he searched for his missing animal. Leo’s reconnoiter took him over the two other grazing pastures, and when he reached the third, a death scent prickled his nostrils. He landed, shifted to his human form, and followed his nose.
“Slaughter site,” his dragon murmured.
Something—probably wolves—had fed on the entrails, but the remains were enough to tell Leo his beast hadn’t died of natural causes. “What the hell is going on here?”
A slaughtered wolf and pup. A cow butchered overnight.
Every instinct screamed trouble, yet he wasn’t certain of precisely what the danger was or from which direction it approached.
“I don’t like this,” his dragon muttered.
“Me neither. We can’t afford to lose more cows.”
Shifting the cattle took longer than Leo had expected because his small herd shied at every shadow and noise. The sight of his dragon upset them, so Leo trailed the cattle in his human form.
“A dragon did this,” his dragon stated the obvious after witnessing his herd’s skittishness.
“If I catch them, they’ll be sorry.” Understatement. Anger roared through him, but he tamped it down. Leo checked the area for footprints and scent trails. The interloper’s stench contaminated the kill site. “It’s the same dragon who killed the wolves.” Not familiar, but a reek he’d remember in case he met the culprit during his next castle visit.
It was four hours later when Leo landed on his balcony and shifted from dragon to man. Dirt and mud coated his lower legs, and exhaustion tugged at his muscles. At least his cattle were safer. He could do a visual count from his balcony.
He inhaled and caught a hint of Gwenyth and… He froze.
Someone—another dragon—had stood on this balcony.
“Gwenyth!” A note of panic shaded his shout. If anyone had hurt her, he’d turn berserker on their arse. “Gwenyth.”
Alarmed when she didn’t answer, he stomped inside, his dragon senses on high-alert. She lay on his bed, curled up with the wolf-pup. A cute snore escaped her, and his tension dispersed. Safe.
Leo retreated to wash and find a set of fresh clothes. By the time he walked into the kitchen, he’d relaxed. The castle communication sitting on the counter shoved his mood back to high-alert. Unusual creases marred the tube as if someone had squeezed it hard.
Trepidation curdled his stomach. Leo picked up the tube and sniffed. The mysterious scent came from the delivery dragon. With resignation, he broke the seal and scanned the message. A note from his mother, ordering him to greet Nan, The Strongminded, on her arrival. His mother had arranged a betrothal party, so he should plan on staying.
The scuttle of claws on the floor dragged his attention from his mother’s note. His mother’s command performance. In this, he refused to falt
er. He rejected Nan, no matter what prestige or wealth she brought with her. Gwenyth was the one his dragon craved, and the sole woman to snare his interest in years.
The wolf-pup ran to him, and Leo crouched to pet the animal. Greeting completed, the pup nudged the food bowl in a hint.
“You’re back.”
Gwenyth’s flat voice had Leo straightening. “Something wrong?”
“The butler dragon who delivered the tube sneered and informed me we weren’t married.”
“Telus, The Organized?”
“We didn’t do formal introductions. He told me he was your parents’ butler. Horrid dragon. He was rude, snooty, and dismissive. Are we married? Where is my ring?” She thrust out her hand, temper in the curl of her top lip, her sharp inhalations.
“Before me, you were with another man. He treated you shoddily, and you left him.” Leo gave her a partial truth put together from clues he’d garnered. Her bare ring finger for one. “You’re with me now.” He prowled closer, desperate to offer comfort, to resolve her fears. Leo settled his hands on her shoulders, prepared to fight for her. “Please, Gwenyth.”
She huffed out a breath and leaned in, relaxing against his chest. Leo bent his head and breathed in her scent. Green herbs. Flowers. Her.
“Tell me about our wedding,” she whispered.
Leo was glad he couldn’t see her face, nor she view his. Guilt slithered like a serpent—destructive and poisonous. Should he tell her the truth?
“We have to tell her something,” his dragon said, his tone unhappy.
“I can’t ignore the summons. My parents have arranged a betrothal for me.”
She yanked away from him, angry color pooling in her cheeks. “A betrothal? Was the butler dude telling me the truth? Are you stringing me along with lies to get me into your bed?”
“If that were the truth, I would’ve pushed harder for sex last night,” Leo snapped. “You are my one. Our one.” A plan formed. “I must go to the castle if only to inform my parents I have no intention of committing to their betrothal plans. Come with me. We’ll stop at the human village to purchase clothes and visit the church. We will marry there.”
Liza (Dragon Isles Book 1) Page 6
