by Angel Black
“What’s this?” she asked, a grin spreading across her face.
“I’ve been studying your traditions when it comes to weddings and love. Dragon shifters customarily get ceremonial tattoos when they are united, but it has come to my understanding that humans actually exchange rings. And before they exchange, the groom to be is supposed to give the bride to be an engagement ring. So that’s why we are here. Pick one, any one. As long as it makes you happy, it’s yours.”
Rachel felt overwhelmed by the amount of love and attention she felt in that moment. Valonis could have easily carried on strictly with the dragon traditions, but instead he did his homework on what would make her the most comfortable. Valonis nodded his head to a woman standing by the entrance of the tent, and she quickly moved to close the curtains.
“So we aren’t bothered or rushed,” he explained.
Jewelry had never been something Rachel was particularly passionate about, but she had also never seen dragon jewelry before. She looked through each case, admiring the workmanship in every one of them. As they perused, the vendor informed them that each ring was handcrafted by King Aedan’s jewel smith himself, and that it took anywhere from a day to a full month to make just one ring, depending on how ornate it was.
After what seemed like hours, Rachel found exactly what she wanted. The band was made of a delicate black metal that wrapped around her ring finger as if it were as delicate and malleable as a flower vine. It wound from the base knuckle up just slightly past her middle one. Three pairs of intricately carved leaves wound around the ring, and in between each pair sat a brilliant yellow diamond.
“Why this one?” Valonis asked, surprised at her choice. “From what I had researched, most human women chose clear diamonds and a bright, shiny band.
“It reminds me of you,” she admitted. They yellow diamonds remind me of your eyes when they turn dragon.”
For a moment Valonis looked as if he might cry, but instead he simply pulled her to him and kissed her until she was breathless.
“We’ll take this one,” he laughed when they finally came up for air.
Conquer both love and battle. Is the fight not yet over? Who else is left?
Chapter 17: Bid You Well, To Remember the Fate of Falon’s Traitors
Valonis
The ceremonial groom’s robe was not fitting right, and it was making Valonis even more worried. He pulled out the ornate fabric again, trying to pull it into place. When he couldn’t, he growled in frustration and turned away from the mirror.
“Perhaps I can be of assistance, my Lord?” Duke asked, watching from his post. Since he had been brought back to serve Valonis, he had been trying everything possible to prove to the young lord that he was loyal. When Vilhelm had come into the room, it had taken everything he had to keep the larger Sigma away from his ward. He had done his best, but in the end he had been rendered unconscious and put in a holding cell, strong enough to hold him even in his dragon form.
The moment he was able to, Valonis went down to the holding cells in the palace and freed his protector and long-time friend. They had embraced one another like brothers, and Duke was by his side yet again. Trusting no one more than him, Valonis asked him to be the Dragon’s second; the human equivalent to a best man.
Duke had been honored at the proposition. He had expressed to Valonis that he didn’t see anything wrong with falling in love with a human. After getting to know her, he also explained to Valonis that he understood how he was able to fall in love with Rachel.
Valonis appreciated having someone supportive to talk to about Rachel. He really found her to be a fascinating creature. She had a quiet way about her, but not out of fear. When she spoke, it was often through bouts of intelligence or humor, and always had a good point to make or a solid quip to a joke. Not to mention he found her very lovely to look at.
“Thank you old friend,” he replied with a heavy sigh. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” he admitted.
“You’re just nervous,” Duke replied, pinning the fabric of the robe in its proper place so that it draped officially over his lord’s left shoulder. “King Aedan himself is going to be presiding over the royal ceremony.” He paused, giving Valonis an apologetic look. “And there of course is the matter of your father’s attendance and his group of anti-human shifters.”
Valonis chuckled, shaking his head. “That definitely puts a damper on the happy day,” he admitted, pinning the royal jewels in place on his lapel. “I want Rachel to be my wife, more than anything. It enrages me that at our own wedding we will have shifters there booing our union. It’s not what Rachel deserves. If it wasn’t for my stupid title, I would run off with her and get married on our own.”
A knock on the chamber doors announced that the time for the nuptials was quickly approaching, and that Valonis and Duke must start heading towards the royal church. As they approached it, his stomach began to form knots. He stopped in front of the steps, dreading the idea of having his father and his council on the other side of the looming doors.
A familiar hand on his shoulder steadied him immediately however, and as he turned around he smiled down at his love.
Rachel was behind him, wearing a traditional shifter’s wedding dress. The fabric was silk, snow white, and had a low scooped bodice, with a gold corset and long bell sleeves that reached to the ground. At her stomach, only the smallest of bulges revealed that beneath the layers of fabric rested their growing child. Her beautiful chocolate brown curls were adorned with white flowers from the volcano gardens, and resting around her neck was an intricate silver dragon collar. The dragon’s body wound around the back of her neck, with its ornate head resting just above her left breast. She was, Valonis thought, perfect beyond compare.
“My love,” he greeted, bending down to kiss her full lips. “You look absolutely radiant.”
“And you,” she replied, cupping his cheek, “My dear dragon, are handsome as ever.”
Her smile changed from one of happiness to one of nervousness. “Don’t let your father ruin this day,” she implored him.
Valonis felt a growl roil in his chest. His bride knew him so well already. It was both a blessing and a curse; especially when he was trying to hide something. Worry was not possible to dismiss in such a situation. It was not possible to ever forget the fact that his own father was the one that had attempted to sell his bride to be as a slave. Still, he knew that Rachel could read his emotions as much as he could read hers, and she was right. This was a good day, a beautiful day.
Taking Rachel’s hand, he gave her a final kiss as the music began to signal the start of the ceremony. Unlike a human one, it was tradition for shifters to walk their brides down the aisle in a symbolic gesture of protection. He was happy that Rachel had no problems with it, because he wanted every single shifter in attendance to see that Rachel was his, and that no one was going to stop that.
Aedan, the Supreme King of the Dragon shifters, smiled at them as they made their way to the altar. He was the oldest dragon alive, yet he didn’t look a day over forty. His smile of encouragement helped put Valonis at ease.
“What a beautiful bride,” the Supreme praised, talking only loud enough for the three of them to hear. Lifting Rachel’s hand to his lips, he gave her a chaste kiss. “Welcome to our kingdom my dear. Our home is now your home.”
“My dragons,” he called, his deep, loud voice echoing loudly as he looked out over the filled church. “We are gathered here today to witness the union of Valonis, future Earl of the Dragon shifters in the Imbris Domain, and Rachel, of the human world. As we are finding more about the flow of ancient blood in the human species and debating on what is right and wrong, we are also honoring the gift of life.
“Human or not, Rachel is carrying a precious child of the dragon shifters. Her body and her mind have been chosen by the Gods to be the incredible vessel that will bring us a very new generation of shifters. This, my people, is no easy feat! Therefore, as your King, I exten
d protection over her and her child in both our world and the human one. No one shall be permitted to cause harm in any way to this woman while she carries this precious child.”
The Supreme paused, his face growing fierce. What he said next, he meant as a threat to any that dare oppose him. “This woman is under the protection of Valonis and mine. Causing harm to her or her child will result in immediate death. Bid you well to remember what happened to Falon’s traitors.”
A rumble went through the church as the King’s alarming decree was made. Valonis, feeling hugely relieved at the announcement, spared a glance over to his father. To his amusement, his entire face was a deep shade of red, as was most of his council. Whatever their plans had been, they had apparently just been foiled.
Valonis felt as if a great weight was lifted off of his shoulders as he allowed the Supreme’s words to sink in. As the ceremony started, he turned to Rachel and let the rest of the church and its crowd fall away. As they exchanged their vows, all he heard and all he saw, was Rachel.
Although attending banquets was something that Valonis had been used to, he could tell that it was a first for Rachel. He wanted nothing more than to take her back to their chambers to consummate their marriage. However, since the Supreme himself had made the effort to attend their wedding, it was not a luxury that they could afford.
“Are these people even happy to see us married?” She asked in a whispered tone. They had just taken their seats at the head table, and neither of them could ignore the blatant stares of their guests. Valonis put a comforting hand on the small of her back.
“I honestly have no idea,” he admitted. “But I am choosing not to care on this day.” He lifted her chin with the crook of his finger, and looked into her eyes with a smile. “All I care about is the fact that you, and our child are safe, and that despite everything, you are somehow crazy enough to want to be my bride.”
She laughed at him, and leaned in for a quick kiss. “You’re lucky I am a little crazy,” she teased.
“I’m lucky, period,” he replied immediately. She knew what he meant. He could see it in her eyes. He was lucky that Rachel hadn’t been killed. He was lucky that she had taught him to be patient, to look for ways of escaping a bad situation. If she hadn’t, he was certain that he wouldn’t have found the information on the right to battle for his wishes. All would have been lost.
“Maybe I’m a little lucky too,” she said softly. “Or, maybe we’re blessed.”
He knew she was right. But it was hard to forget the stares of those who opposed them.
Chapter 18: The In-Law
Rachel
Rachel’s stomach growled as they waited for the food to be served, and she curbed a giggle as she heard it. Normally a rumbling tummy wasn’t enough to send her into a fit of giggles, but this day had her feeling quite giddy.
When she had first slipped her wedding dress on she had thought back to when she was young, and the dreams she had for her wedding then. She had pictured a princess dress, a big church, and her father walking her down the aisle. Now that it was actually happening, she realized that her dreams then were not that far off from reality. The dress she and the seamstress had designed together was phenomenal. She loved how beautiful she looked in it. The whiteness of it had a soft glow, and although she had a bulging baby belly, one could barely see it under the yards of beautiful white and silver fabric.
And the wedding ceremony had indeed been held in a vast church. One that was more ancient and intricate than the Vatican itself. It had been built from Volcano ash and dragon’s fire, with beautiful stained glass windows depicting the enlightened beings of the dragon shifters. Even with a few guests that disapproved of her nuptials, she had felt proud to take her vows with Valonis there.
As for her father, there had been no way around it. She had cried for his loss all morning in her bridal chamber. She missed him so, especially since she’d validated his research and met and fell in love with her very own dragon. If he were there, she knew without a doubt that he would have shed a tear as he gave her away. He would have kissed her cheek and told her he was proud of her. That was just the type of father he was. But, when she saw Valonis waiting for her, looking handsome as ever in his groom’s robes, she knew she was in just as good hands.
Valonis was quick to prove her right. After they had exchanged her vows and began the reception, Valonis stayed by her side the entire time, refusing to let her face the guests alone. They were once more surprised that more dragons were happy about their union. Some had even asked how they had met. Having that positivity around her had given her more strength to ignore the more negative dragons.
“Are you having fun, wife?” Valonis asked teasingly.
Rachel turned and smiled at him, grateful for pulling her out of her thoughts.
“I am, husband,” she giggled. “I’m just starving.”
“Me too,” he agreed, his smile wide after being called husband. “But look, here comes the food!”
Rachel gasped and clapped as she saw the trays of food coming their way. Heaped on the silver plates were a variety of grilled meats, spiced vegetables, and a small mountain of scalloped potatoes. There was also large bowls of salads and handmade bread, whipped honey butter, and jams. The feast appeared delicious, and she couldn’t wait to dig in. Although Rachel had always liked food, it wasn’t until she was taken to the dragon realm that she developed a passion for it. After making friends with the kitchen staff and Valonis finally allowing her to be there without him, she had begun to learn how to cook the dragon way, and was fascinated with it.
Thoughts of food quickly vanished however, when she saw Vilhelm approaching their table. Valonis must have seen him too, because moments later she felt his arm go around her shoulders to pull her into his chest.
“Don’t do this,” Valonis warned, his voice deadly. “The Supreme has proclaimed---”
“Indeed,” Vilhelm interrupted, his fingers steeped in front of him. “The King has proclaimed that your admittedly beautiful bride and your child are safe as long as she is pregnant.” The Earl gave them an evil smile, and turned to leave with the thought of impending doom.
“My lord,” Rachel called, suddenly on her feet. She watched as the surprised Earl turned around and raised a questioning eyebrow.
Rachel bowed her head, then met his gaze evenly. “On behalf of my husband and I, I wanted to thank you for coming to our wedding,” she announced, rather loudly. “It is truly a blessing that you have come to our wedding in support of our union.”
The Earl’s face turned purple with rage as hundreds of eyes turned to them. Beside her, Valonis was struggling to keep his laughter from bursting out. She knew if she said it loudly enough that people would hear, and that the Earl was too proud of a man to correct her in such a public way, especially in front of the Supreme. To do so would reveal his true loathing and it was not difficult to see that the number of dragons in support of hybrid love was growing.
“Very clever,” the Earl whispered, forcing a smile. “A very clever human indeed.”
He turned to leave once more and this time no one stopped him. Rachel watched his back as it went straight through the reception hall and out the doors. She was quite sure that they wouldn’t see him, or his council for the rest of the night.
Before she could sit back down, Valonis stood up with her, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her until she was dizzy. A roar of applause went up around them as they kissed, and Rachel felt a burst of love and happiness in her heart.
“You’re quite the incredible human,” Valonis whispered, his lips kissing her ear. “I think that will forever be my favorite wedding present.”
Giggling, Rachel sat back down to their now food-filled table.
“I’ve decided that you are right,” she explained, forking a roasted brussels sprout. “This is our day of celebration. And I wasn’t going to let your father, or anyone else ruin it.”
Chapter 19: The Breathlessness of Consumma
tion
Valonis
Rachel wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and Valonis eased backwards so that his back was flush with her chest. She kissed his temple and ran the tip of her nose playfully over the lobe of his ear. Between them was nothing, as they had just finished making love, thus consummating their marriage.
“You feel stressed my love,” she whispered, rubbing his shoulders. “Did our wedding night not satisfy you?”
Valonis turned, reaching around so that he could pull his bride into his arms. She nestled willingly into his arms as his hand delved into her curls. Another shot of arousal rippled through him as she whimpered in pleasure. She could feel his hardness pressing into the soft skin of her butt cheeks, and enjoyed how it teased him.
“You always please me,” he assured her, kissing her forehead.
“Then what is it?” She asked.
Valonis thought for a moment on what to do. On one hand, he wanted to avoid stressing out his wife and mother of his child at all costs. On the other hand, he had promised in their exchanged vows that he would be as truthful and honest with her as possible. After a moment of internal struggle, he gave in.
You know I can read your mind, right? Rachel reached telepathically.
Her light push made him smile, and with a sigh he told her his thoughts.
“My father is the type of shifter that adores loopholes,” he explained. “While I appreciate what the King said on our behalf, I still wish he would have been a little more specific. Especially since my father had the nerve to approach our table about it. I would not put it past him to attempt to do something once you have the baby.”
