by Donna Grant
“The proof of your vows and your love,” Con told them. He then raised his voice to the others. “Jane is officially marked as Banan’s!”
The cavern erupted in cheers as Jane looked upon her left upper arm to see the tattoo done in the same black and red ink as the dragon tats on each of the Kings.
Jane had seen Cassie’s mark often enough, but now she had her own. It was the size of her fist and so lovely she could scarcely believe it was now a part of her.
Banan traced the dragon’s eye and the flames surrounding it on her arm. “Do you know why the mates were chosen to wear a dragon’s eye?”
“No. Why?”
“Because a dragon recognizes one of its own. You may no’ be able to shift into a dragon, but you hold my heart.”
“As you hold mine,” she said before she leaned up to kiss him.
They weren’t left alone long. The other Dragon Kings wanted to personally welcome her. It was Banan who finally called a halt to things by lifting Jane into his arms and striding from the cavern.
He took her out of the mountain and back into the house, but he didn’t stop there. Outside, the massive patio was ablaze with candles.
As soon as Jane saw Elena and Cassie they ran to her, looking at her tattoo. The party was just getting started, and Banan wouldn’t be denied.
He danced song after song with Jane until dawn streaked the sky. Only then did they stop to watch the sunrise. Once the sun was up, Banan had Jane in his arms once more.
She waved to everyone as he quickly tugged her inside the house and up to their rooms where he hastily had her gown puddled on the floor next to the bed.
PART 2
CHAPTER
ONE
Dreagan Manor
December 29
Elena got out another package of ground meat and began mixing in the ingredients for her special hamburgers. No matter how many she made, there never seemed to be enough to go around.
The large kitchen at Dreagan Manor was empty except for her, and she liked it that way. It was becoming harder to keep the smile on her face and act as if nothing was wrong.
Something was very wrong.
Her life had been, if not perfect—close. She had left her career at PureGems because of her love for Guy, and though there was plenty for her to do at Dreagan, it just wasn’t enough anymore.
She dug her hands into the raw meat as she mixed in all the ingredients. Her world had begun to fall apart the night Jane and Banan were bonded.
As difficult as it was, she had put aside her frustration in not being able to see the ceremony. Cassie had made it easier by staying behind with her, but the sting of it hit home to what had been bothering her.
She might be Guy’s lover, but that’s all she was. Until she was bonded to him that is all anyone at Dreagan would see her as—his lover.
Elena formed another patty and set it on the foil-wrapped tray. All the while she made the hamburgers she was thinking about Guy. He had shown her an incredible world, a world she had come to love. And need.
Why then had he left? She glanced at her cell phone that sat on the counter and debated whether to call him again. She had called three times and left messages each time, but he hadn’t returned any of the calls. No texts, nothing.
It was so unlike Guy that Elena was unsure of what to do. The other Kings assured her he had been sent on a mission by Con, but somehow she didn’t believe them. Maybe it was the way none of them could look her in the eye as they said it that confirmed her suspicions.
“Hey,” Cassie said as she walked into the kitchen. “How many more are you going to make?”
Elena set down the finished patty and rested her hands on the large stainless steel bowl. “Are you my friend, Cassie?”
The brunette raised a brow, her dark eyes suddenly serious. “You know I am.”
“Are you my friend because of the Kings, or would you have been my friend without our connection to this place?”
“Elena, what—”
“Please,” she interrupted Cassie. “Just answer me. Honestly.”
Cassie sighed and leaned her hip against the counter as she faced Elena. “I’d have been your friend with or without the Kings or this place. I thought you knew that.”
“I’m not sure of anything anymore.”
“Is this because Guy left on that mission?”
Elena snorted. “Did he? Did he really leave on a mission? How many times has Con sent Hal, Guy, or Banan on a mission since we came here? Not when he has many other Kings to choose from.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Cassie said as her forehead furrowed. “Where do you think Guy is?”
“Hiding from me.”
Elena washed her hands to give Cassie time to close her gaping mouth after dropping such a bombshell. It had been in the back of Elena’s mind for days, but now she knew it with a certainty she couldn’t shake.
“He loves you,” Cassie argued.
Elena wiped her now-clean hands and set aside the dish towel. “I know he did. Not all relationships last. I knew something wasn’t right after Jane and Banan’s binding when Guy refused to acknowledge anything I said about our future.”
“It’s just miscommunication like Banan and Jane had.”
Elena tried to smile, but she couldn’t quite pull it off. “I’ve been telling myself that for weeks. It’s time I stopped lying to myself and gave Guy the freedom he doesn’t have the courage to ask for himself.”
Jane opened the door from outside and tripped as she stepped over the threshold, banging her shoulder into the doorway. “Ugh,” she said as she righted herself and closed the door. “Banan says he’s ready for the hamburgers.”
Elena kept her face turned away from Jane. She was barely keeping her tears at bay, and if Jane began to ask questions, Elena knew she would break down.
“What’s going on?” Jane asked softly into the silence.
Out of the corner of her eye Elena saw Cassie give a shake of her head.
“Damn Guy,” Jane stated angrily. “Let me call him, Elena. Let me talk to him and see what can be done.”
Elena furiously shook her head. “No. If you two don’t know anything it’s because Hal and Banan don’t know either or they’ve been forbidden to talk to you about it.”
“Hal better not be keeping anything from me,” Cassie said as she crossed her arms over her chest.
Jane came to stand beside Elena and put a comforting arm around her. “You know we’d tell you if we knew anything.”
“I know.”
“What are you going to do?” Cassie asked.
Elena glanced out the kitchen window to see the vast garden and the hills beyond dotted with sheep. “My being here has forced Guy to leave his home. It’s not right.”
“You can’t leave,” Jane said.
Cassie dropped her arms, her eyes wide. “Jane’s right. You can’t leave. You’re as much a part of Dreagan as any of us.”
“I know Guy better than either of you. He doesn’t look at me with the same desire, and he rarely kisses me anymore. His gift to me at Christmas was a ticket back to Atlanta to see my family. It was one ticket. He had no intention of coming with me. All the signs are there.”
“It’s bullshit,” Jane said.
Elena shrugged. “I could force a confrontation, but then words will be spoken to hurt both of us. It’s better if I leave now.”
“Today?” Cassie asked, anxiety shading her voice.
“Today.” Elena pushed past her friends and hurried from the kitchen as the tears started. She couldn’t hold them back anymore, but she wanted to mourn alone.
* * *
“You bastard,” Hal said as he stalked into the mountain.
Guy didn’t bother to move as he sat, his chin touching his chest. Both of his hands were plunged in his hair as his mind thought of Elena.
“What the hell are you doing?” Hal demanded. “Explain it to me, because obviously I’m too dim to comprehend what th
e fuck is going through your small mind.”
Hal’s anger didn’t bother him. Nothing could touch Guy now, not after his heart was being ripped from his chest minute by agonizing minute.
“Guy.”
He closed his eyes, but all he could see was Elena’s beautiful face. All he could hear was her throaty laughter, her sighs of pleasure.
“Do you no’ love her anymore?” Hal asked.
Guy shook his head and he laughed wryly. “I love her more than life itself.”
“Then I doona understand,” Hal said as he sat beside him. “The other Kings are beginning to wonder at your sanity. They’re doing their best to cover for you with Elena, but none of us like it. It willna be long before Cassie and Jane confront Banan and me. Tell me why I risk the ire of my bride for a friend?”
Guy slowly sat up and looked around one of the many caves in the mountains surrounding Dreagan. This had been one he had withdrawn to many times over the millenniums. When he came here, it was known that he was to be left alone, yet somehow he wasn’t surprised that Hal had invaded his space.
“Do you know what she walked away from to come here with me?” he asked. “She had an amazing career and opportunities ahead of her. She gave that up. For me.”
“Because she loves you.”
“And that’s the rub of it, old friend. I know she loves me, but you have no’ seen her face when she gets offers from other companies to come work for them. She’s tried to hide her longing for that life from me, but I see it anyway. I tried to ignore it because I didna want to let her go.”
Hal leaned his hands on his knees. “And now?”
“It’s no’ fair to her. As hard as it is, I have to let her go.”
“Is she your bride? Is she the one mate who is the perfect match for you?”
The words wouldn’t come, so Guy nodded his head.
“And you’ll just let her go?” Hal ran a hand down his face, perplexed. “You’re a bigger man than me, because there is nothing I wouldna do to hold onto Cassie.”
“I’ve been holding onto Elena for months,” Guy said. “I’m crushing the life from her. And it’s killing me.”
They sat in silence for several minutes before Hal asked, “When will you tell her?”
“I’m no’ sure I can. You’ve no idea how hard it was to walk away from her, and it’s even more difficult to remain apart from her. If I hear her voice, if I see her, I may no’ be able to carry through with it.”
Hal stood with a loud exhale. “How do you know Elena doesna want to be with you?”
“She had to choose between this life and the other. She chose this one, but that was before she really knew what she was getting into. I gave her the time to get adjusted, just as Banan did with Jane. The difference was that I saw how much Elena missed her career.”
“So you’re willing to let her go to see if she comes back to you?”
Guy shrugged. “Something like that.”
“And what if she’s too hurt to ever come back even if it’s what she wants to do?”
Guy had already thought of that. It was a chance he was taking, a big chance. He had never loved anyone as deeply as he did Elena. He would pluck the stars from the sky if she but asked it of him.
No matter how much he loved her, no matter how much he needed her by his side, it wasn’t worth her happiness. What he hadn’t told Hal is that he fully expected to lose Elena.
And if that is what it took to bring back her smile, Guy would happily give up his heart to see it happen.
“That’s why you bought her the ticket for Christmas,” Hal said as he pieced everything together. “Doona leave her as she is. At least give her the answers she’s trying to find.”
Guy waited until Hal walked away before he pulled out his mobile. He had listened to her messages a thousand times already, and he knew in the endless centuries before him that he would play them every day.
He understood what it was to love.
He realized what it meant to be loved.
And he would never be the same because of it.
Whether Elena knew it or not, she had given him the world. For a few exquisite months Guy really had had it all. Once she was gone from Dreagan, Guy would sleep. It was the only way to ensure that he let Elena go as she deserved.
He played her most recent message, the uncertainty in her voice breaking his heart all over again. Hal was right. He had to call her.
Guy dialed her number before he could second-guess himself. She answered after the first ring with a breathless, “Hello.”
“Elena,” he said as he closed his eyes, savoring the sound of her voice.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
Guy swallowed and knew the time for lies had stopped. “Nay, lass, I’m no’.”
The silence on the other end of the line was like a knife in his gut. “Is it me?”
“Nay,” he hurried to tell her, struggling to contain the emotions choking him.
“Is there anything I can do?”
He could hear the tears in her voice and it was everything he could do to remember why he was letting her go. “Aye. You can live, be happy, Elena, as you deserve to be.”
“You want me to leave?”
The fact there was no surprise in her voice meant she had come to that conclusion already and just needed his confirmation. This was it. This was when he could let her go, or he could keep her by his side.
How could he go on without her? Yet, how could he continue to watch her wonder what her life would have been like had she remained in London with her career?
Even though he knew he should tell her yes, he couldn’t manage it. Instead, he said, “I want you to be happy.”
If she stayed, he would know she would be happy with him.
If she left … he had all the answers he needed.
“Good-bye, Guy.”
The click of the phone was like a nail in his coffin.
CHAPTER
TWO
Elena hung up the phone and sank onto the bed she and Guy had shared. He hadn’t come right out and asked her to leave, but he hadn’t told her he wanted her to stay either.
She fell back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. How many nights had she lain in Guy’s arms looking at the ceiling as they spoke of their wishes and desires for the future?
Stupidly, she had thought she’d found her happily ever after. It existed. All she had to do was look at Cassie and Jane to see that. But for some reason, it wasn’t meant to be hers.
What had she done wrong? How had she lost him? Guy wasn’t the type to lead a woman on. He had wanted her at Dreagan at one time, but something had changed.
They used to communicate so well, but somewhere, somehow everything had changed.
She wanted to cry the tears building up inside her, but she feared if she let them out she might never stop. And there was no way she wanted to leave Dreagan sobbing uncontrollably.
But deep inside, in the furthest reaches of her soul, she was shattered, devastated.
Destroyed.
An emptiness, colossal and vast, filled her chest where her heart used to be. She might be leaving Dreagan, but her heart would remain behind. Forever.
It was Guy’s. Her heart had been Guy’s from the first moment he had come upon her in the caves when she thought she would die. He had lifted her into his arms, his hard body and warmth tying her to a world she had been drifting from.
And then he had touched her.
Elena sat up and rubbed her hands up and down her arms as she thought of the first time they had made love. Each time after had been as glorious and exciting as that first time.
That was Guy. He had a way of touching her as no one else could, as no one else would dare. He had seen her, the girl she had only dreamed she could be. Then he had given her the courage to reach for any dream, any possibility.
Which had been him.
Elena had given all of herself to Guy. She’d held nothing back, had never thou
ght to. He had a way of pulling everything from her without even trying, and she was powerless to resist.
He was a Dragon King after all.
Elena stood and pulled out her suitcase. Not everything would fit, but she could have the rest sent to her once she got settled.
Her gaze went to her purse where the airline ticket Guy had given her waited. Now she knew the reason for his gift. She doubled over from the pain, her mouth opened on a silent scream.
How long had he been trying to get rid of her?
Elena covered her face with her hands and squeezed her eyes closed. Just before he left, they had made such sweet love. His kisses had been long and lingering, his gaze filled with some unnameable emotion.
He had been saying good-bye.
The realization hit her hard enough to take her breath. Elena had to brace her hands on her luggage just to stay upright. She gave herself a few minutes to collect her emotions before she began to pack.
Part of her wanted to wait until Guy returned and demand a confrontation. But what would she say? She couldn’t make him love her again. Nor could she turn back the clock and try to discover what had gone wrong. No, she would give him what he wanted and leave.
An hour later, Elena came down the stairs, but she couldn’t meet Banan’s or Jane’s eyes. When she reached the bottom, Banan silently took her suitcase and walked out the front door.
“This is complete shit,” Jane said, her voice heavy with anger.
Elena took a deep breath and forced a smile. “My time here is done. I’ll never forget any of you.”
“I’ll stay in touch.”
“No,” Elena said, more harshly than she intended. She swallowed and took Jane’s hands. “It would be too much for me. I have to make a clean break or I might never leave.”
“Guy loves you. I don’t understand.”
She squeezed Jane’s hands. “Give Cassie my love.”
And then, before she broke down in tears, Elena turned on her heel and walked from the manor. She found Banan standing beside Guy’s bronze Aston Martin DB9 with the door open.
“I called a cab,” she told Banan.
