Griffith: The English Dragon ― Erotic Paranormal Dragon Shifter Romance

by Kathi S. Barton

  “Wait, I think. It’s better than having them come to your home to confront you, don’t you agree?” She did, and so did Griff. “If I was you, sir, I’d just go about my way and leave them to whatever it is they want. I’ll see what I can find out about them in town, and get back to you about it. Is that all right with you?”

  Griff looked at her and she nodded. “Yes, it’s fine with us both. But you be careful. A few days ago, Danburn told me that a woman was searching for me, by my titles. I’ll get with him too, and see if he can shed some more light on this.”

  When the person knocked again, all three of them made their way to the kitchen. As with all dragon homes, the kitchen or hearth was the heart and warmest place in the house. Lilac had come to enjoy being in the big room too, even when the cook was away. Sitting at the table, she was given a large salad with grilled chicken on it. Also, a tall glass of tea. That was something else that she’d gotten used to, the sweet brew that was made daily for the household.

  The person was gone by the time they had finished their lunch. Lilac had a lot of things to do today to get ready for their auction trip this weekend. Griff said that he was going to be helping Kip—he was still clearing the lawn at his home, and they wanted to get it cleaned out before fall. She wondered how anyone could destroy something so grand as the castle that Kip owned now, but then she had a good mother, and Kip had horrific people in his life.

  The car that she’d gotten was fun. It was a tiny thing, and she loved driving it. But she was careful too. Lilac had never learned to drive anything until recently, and wondered why she had been so dead set against learning. Sunny sat on her shoulder as they made their way to the two buildings that Griff and her owned.

  “The building is empty of all vermin, my lady. I think that once the people and the other things discovered that a dragon was going to be around, they decided to go elsewhere.” She told Sunny that it was common for rats and other animals like that to take up residency in an abandoned home, only to have to move on quickly when a dragon showed up. “It’s mostly empty but for the basement. There are a few boxes down there that we didn’t bother. They are full of papers and such. And some books are in a crate. We have wondered if you’d like to display them in the new shop.”

  “Yes, if they’re old.” Sunny assured her that they were very old. “Good, then I’ll have someone take them out and clean them up. Maybe see if they can find some dates on them. What else have you found out?”

  “The man that is in the forest, he is taking his frustration out on the trees and plants. Just yesterday I had to calm one of the larger trees when James nicked his bark badly. The faeries and I, we repaired it as best we could, but he is still complaining about it.” Lilac told her that she’d talk to her mother to see about getting him some extra magic. “That is most helpful. I have someone wanting you to come to his land and ask the waterways to be there for his cattle. Mr. Hartington said that if you help, he will give you some beef. I’m to understand that it is a favorite of dragons, beef.”

  “We can do that now. Is he aware of what he needs to do if I were to do this for him?” Sunny told her that she’d spoken to him at great length, and that he was also a friend of her mother’s. “And she approves of him then?”

  “Yes. Lady of the faeries had said that he has been a good man to them, planting nearly five acres of land full of flowers for them.” Lilac turned where she was told to go. “When you help him, my lady, I was wondering if you could have a look at his orchard. The trees are not in the best of shape, and he and his lady wife depend on the sale of the fruits for money in the harder times of winter.”

  “I can do that.”

  As they pulled up in front of the large house, she could see that it needed some repairs to it as well. Wondering if there was a committee that did that sort of thing, Lilac decided to talk to the other dragons to see if they could get some men and women together to help the poor in town with this sort of thing.

  The elderly man and his wife came out of the house to greet them. “I’m Lilac. I’m to understand that you might need some help with the waterways around here?”

  “Yes, miss. We’ve all but lost all our sheep and cattle because of the damming above us. They told us when they were building that we’d not have any troubles with them. But they took away our source of water, saying that it was theirs to do with as they wanted.” He pointed to the large trek of homes that seemed to be just too shiny to be in such a rural area. “The lack of water is killing all the animals that are beyond us. The farm over, it’s been up for sale for a while now. No one wants to buy it without any water rights.”

  “I’ll talk to Danburn. I think he might be able to get them to relent on their strangle hold on you.” She moved out to the fields that cattle were trying to graze on. There was very little vegetation, and even less water in the stream that ran down the middle of the big field. Lilac reached out to Danburn and the others as she listed what she was seeing. The men and women here, they’re going to be starved by the time winter comes. And it’s hurting not just the cattle and such here, but the land as well. My mother said that she’s at her wit’s end on trying to help the grounds without the water to keep them well.

  If you take care of the waterway, anyway that you wish, I’ll go and have a long talk with the owners of the new development. I believe that they’re renting the land from me, so if they don’t like what I want from them, then they’ll be put out. Lilac could hear the anger in Danburn’s voice, and almost felt sorry for the men he was going to talk to. Also, I have asked Rett to put together some teams to go around to the houses. I’ll make sure that Mr. Hartington is pushed up to the front. I’ve known them all my life, and they’re good people.

  She sat in the middle of the field, the cows ignoring her for the most part. While they chewed on the dead or dying grasses, she buried her fingers in the dirt and reached out to the waters under her. They were deeper than she’d thought they’d be, having to go that far to make sure that they were safe from the work being done at the housing development.

  My lady. I will give you what I have. There is very little, I’m afraid. The houses up yonder, they are sucking us dry daily. Lilac asked him what was going on. They are filling large holes with our waters, making fountains that waste more than they save when the water splashes along the paths they have made. Watering of the grasses there is fine, but they do it for days on end, and there is little we can supply to other places. There is a rumbling sound that is working very hard to pull what little we have from the earth.

  Lilac followed the source and felt the engine as it worked hard, spraying out odors that were harming the land as well. Digging deeper into the land, she pulled the water from the machine, then moved it with her hands when she had it. Narrowing the water to a pinpoint, stronger than any metal that the machine was made of, Lilac rammed the water into it and shattered its sound. The laughter from the soil made her smile.

  The water being released wasn’t enough. Now she had to open the streams that had laid dormant for so long. Flooding the grass with the water that had all but gone away, she felt it splash over her as the cows with her called out their stress of what was happening. In minutes the water was where it had been for decades, snaking its way through the ground and over rocks as it made its way to ponds and lakes that had been starved.

  Sitting where she was for a little while longer, she asked the earth to take the bounty, as there would be no more trouble with the men. Hoping that Danburn would fix this for them, Lilac guided the water to the home of one of the men at the company, and flooded their pool so that it ran over the tops and into their manicured yard. When she stood up, Lilac looked around and saw that one of the other creatures of the earth had given the grounds a boost. The trees were uncurling leaves that had been long since gone. Flowers and grass sprang up in places where the water had not been for longer than the seedlings could remember.

  Lilac saw her mom then, the faeries with her working to plant f
lowers and seeds that they’d had for such a time as this. Walking back to Mr. Hartington, she could see the happiness on his face, and was glad to see that he wasn’t wasting any time in getting his other plants watered as well.

  “Thank you, my lady. I cannot put into words how much we appreciate what you’ve done for us today.” She thanked him for asking for the help. “I almost didn’t want to. But my lady wife, she said that no harm could come from asking. I guess she was correct in that. How long do you think it will be before they dam us up again?”

  “Never, I hope. Lord English has gone to speak with them about the water. If this company gives you any more trouble, you can contact me or Lord English to have us come back. There is no reason for them to waste what is there for all to use.” He nodded and smiled again. “You’re a good man, sir. I thank you for your help in this.”

  “You have my deepest gratitude, my lady. And I’m ever so glad that you’ve come to be a part of the lair. Lord English and his other dragons, they have taken good care of us over the years. And he will continue to do the same, I would bet.” She assured him that he would. “If you ever find yourself wanting a pie or such, my wife makes the best. You just ask anyone. And now that we’ll have fruits to use, we’ll be able to stock them up for the winter too. Thank you again.”

  As she made her way back to the car, Danburn contacted her. He was in good humor, she could almost feel it, and when he told her what he’d done, Lilac laughed as well. It seemed that Danburn wasn’t satisfied with the reason that the developer had given him about the water, and had ordered him off his land. Danburn now had a great many houses to finish, and he’d do so with the earth in mind.

  ~*~

  Griff looked up when he heard his name being called. He saw his brother coming toward him, and nearly laughed when he seemed to be cursing at him. With both his arms in a sling, he looked like a man that had been beaten to shit and came out on the losing side of it. Griff crossed his arms over his chest and waited on him to get to him. As soon as he was close enough to smell, he backed away from him. A skunk had apparently taken exception to James, and had given him the once over.

  “This is all your fault.” He asked James how he’d come to that conclusion. “You have everyone out for me. And I don’t care for it. Call them off and I might let you live a bit longer. You see, I’ve finally figured out how to kill you.”

  “And you want me to do something for you when you just admitted that you’re going to kill me? You do know that it doesn’t make me want to do a damned thing for you when you say shit like that.” James looked around, so Griff did as well. “Carmine isn’t here, if that’s who you’re looking for. But if you’d like to tangle with her again, I can get her here right now.”

  “No, I don’t wish for you to call that child. She’s going to pay as well, just you wait and see. But what I want you to do is die. You, and that fucking bitch of a so called mate and our mother. Why she ever came back is beyond me. I liked it just fine when I thought her to be dead.” Griff told him that he hadn’t, and was glad for her being around. “You would. She’s nothing. I’m the oldest male, and she should be doing what I want, not whatever flitters through her empty head.”

  “I don’t think that Mom has an empty head either, James. She’s very intelligent. She did outsmart you enough to get away from you when she could.” Griff laughed, and he could see the boiling anger on his brother. “You should really behave yourself from now on. I have permission to kill you now, and I won’t hesitate if it comes to that.”

  “You can’t kill me. Why do I have to keep telling people this? I’m an immortal. I cannot be killed. And as the oldest son, you should be bowing before me instead of arguing with me at every turn. I don’t care for it, Griffith. You’ll see what angering me does for you.” Griff stared at him for a full minute before he threw back his head and laughed. It felt wonderful to find such humor in what his brother was saying. “What, pray, do you find so funny now? You think I’m not going to kill you?”

  “You just explained to me that you can’t be killed because you’re an immortal, right?” James just nodded. “Well, dumbass, I’m an immortal too, and so was Father. In fact, I’d say that you and Father had a great many alike traits, wouldn’t you? I mean, neither of you were dragons. You might have both been immortals, but you managed to kill him, correct?”

  Griff saw the exact moment that James got it. When he backed away, taking two steps to Griff’s one, he watched as every plan his brother had been concocting ran over his face, only to be discarded.

  “Stay away from me, Griffith. I swear if you don’t, I’ll figure out a way to end your life so that I never have to be around you again.” Griff told him to go ahead. He’d shoot those plans down as well. “You think you’re so smart, don’t you? The great dragon Griffith. Well, I have news for you. I have your mate.”

  He reached out to Lilac and she told him that she was fine. “No, you don’t. She’s working a field right now, helping a man get his crops in. You never were a good liar, James.” Griff backed his brother up to the building across the street from where they’d been. “You’re nothing to me, James. Not even worthy of me trying to convince you to try and redeem yourself. I’m going to enjoy ending your life, and when I do, you can bet that we’ll have a bigger celebration than we did for my birthday. Did I tell you how much fun it was to be celebrating with friends and family?”

  “I’m your fucking family. Your older brother, as a matter of fact. When are you going to pay homage to me? Treat me like the superior being that I am?” Griff pretended to think about it, then told him never. “You will, brother, I promise you that you will.”

  He stalked away, and for now, Griff let him. The time would come when he’d have to end his life, but he thought that letting him think for a bit longer that he could get the upper hand would make it so much sweeter when Griff did kill him. He figured with all the faeries watching over James, and the broken arms, he’d have a hard time killing anything, much less the unsuspecting townspeople.

  There was no love left for James. Anything that he might have felt for him had long since dried up. James had turned everyone that knew him against him from the moment he killed the first woman. And then when he’d killed his father, Griffith had decided that he had no use for him and nothing kind left to feel for him.

  Making his way back to the building that he was in, Griff thought of all the times as children that James had spoiled things for him. Like the first girlfriend that he’d had. James had hurt her, saying that he was Griffith. He’d never gotten over how he’d pulled that one off. Of course, he’d only been about ten or so, but it still hurt him to this day.

  Then there were the trips they’d had as a family. The times when James would come into his room while he was gone and break his things that he had collected. Every little thing that Griff had, James would spoil it. But Griff hadn’t given up on his brother, trying hard every day to make him a part of what he was doing. Until he decided it wasn’t worth his time to try any more.

  “Like that did me any good.” Realizing that he was talking to himself, Griff laughed. The building was empty and echoed along the walls like there was a large speaker at each end.

  The building he was in needed to be torn down. What he was looking for in it when James had shown up was if there was anything salvageable in it. So far, he’d found some old oak floors that could be repurposed, as well as some old doorknobs and light fixtures. As he was marking the things that he wanted to preserve, he heard someone calling his name from below him. He told Lilac where he was.

  “I’ve been helping with the waterway outside of town.” She told him what she’d done and what Danburn had done as well. “He said that he’d take care that the houses were finished and then sell them off with the land they were on. I guess Danburn owns a lot of land around the world, and has to try and remember it or go to Noah. Did you know that Noah has been with him for longer than anyone else?”

  “I know. Wh
en Danburn and Kendrick have a son, Noah will move to be his butler. Danburn will have someone else, someone that has been trained by Noah. But for now, he’ll watch over the baby. By the way, did you hear what they named her?” Lilac said that she had and smiled. “Yes, I knew that you’d hear about it before me.”

  The little girl had a mouthful of a name. She was Princess Elissa, Lady of the Castle English, Lady Hannah Prince Royal of the Realm. Titles for dragons weren’t that much different than for others, but enough so that you knew who was on the grand scale of things. Also, Lady Hannah, what she would go by when it was a casual gathering, would be second to the throne until there was a son born to her parents. Then she would be third in line. Griff had a feeling that she’d run the castle and the realm as well as her father was, and as good as any sibling that she had too.

  “I was thinking about something.” He paused in what he was doing to give her his full attention. “I was thinking that we should make it official. I’d like for you to marry me. Soon.”

  “All right. Do I get any say in this, or do you have it all planned out?” He laughed when she blushed. “I would love to marry you, my dear. And soon sounds good to me as well.”

  “Your mom is making the arrangements now. She asked me what sort of wedding I wanted, then just told me that small was not what she wanted for her favorite son. I guess it’ll be large no matter what I say.” Griff told her that she could count on it. “I thought you’d say that. And as soon as this shit is over with James, I want to go on a long trip, just the two of us, and have a nice honeymoon. In places that I can make you whimper like a little baby while I make you my sex bitch.”

  He laughed. Griff hugged Lilac to him and told her how much he loved her. Having this woman in his life, it was going to be a rollercoaster ride all the time, he just knew it. And frankly, he didn’t care so long as they were together. After telling her that she had to help him, they sorted out the things that were in the building in a short time and went to dinner. He thought that this could be the best time in his life, just having the two women in his life that he loved more than he did himself.