Loved by a Dragon: A Paranormal Shifter Romance (Exiled Dragons Book 2)

by Stone, Sarah J.

  “I just hope I can live up to what they expect of me,” Aaron admitted.

  “You will. You already have, Aaron. Look around you. No one is scared of their shadow. The women aren’t hiding their attractive daughters to prevent some lecherous dragon leader from carrying her off to his dungeon. The men can hold their heads high and be the proud dragons they were born to be instead of cowering fools, afraid of what will happen to their families if they cross the leader. People who haven’t seen their homes and families for a very long time are returning, helping one another put their lives back together. It’s a glorious thing.”

  “I suppose it is. I just sometimes feel like I don’t know what I’m doing – that I’m blindly feeling my way around the walls in search of the right switch to flick in order to make things light up.”

  “Just don’t get overwhelmed. Tackle one thing at a time. Prioritize. You’ve done the hard part. Now, it’s time to just let the pieces fall back into place. You’ll be fine. We will all be fine.”

  Their conversation was disrupted as Owen approached with a young woman on his arm. He smiled broadly at Aaron, reaching for his hand and shaking it hardily. The woman looked nervous. It was obvious that she was out of her element here, but he wasn’t sure why. Then he remembered. She was the human.

  “Aaron, this is my mate, Amy.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Amy. I’m surprised we haven’t met sooner.”

  “I think everyone has been very busy with getting moved back in and sorted out. I trust you, more than anyone, has had a lot on his plate lately,” she replied amicably.

  “Yes, I suppose that is true.”

  It was only then that he noted there was something else about her. It was subtle but unmistakable as she stood there in a high-waisted dress that clung to her slightly expanded midriff.

  “You are expecting! I had no idea. Congratulations!” he told them.

  “Yes, we’re about four months along, so barely showing. It’s nothing her wedding gown won’t cover up with the amount of tulle and lace in that thing,” Owen laughed.

  “Well, it doesn’t look like you’re really trying to hide it very much anyway,” Aaron laughed.

  “No. We figure that we might as well give some of the older people in the village a chance to get used to it. Plenty of the people here frown upon shifters mating with humans, but what can we say? You can’t pick who you fall in love with, and I was smitten from the day she first stalked me,” Owen joked.

  “I did not stalk you,” she laughed, punching him playfully on the shoulder.

  “Well, yeah. You kind of did,” he laughed.

  “Whatever. At any rate, it was a pleasure to meet you, Aaron. I’m looking forward to seeing more of you in the future.”

  “Likewise,” Aaron replied.

  “Oh, and you’ll get an invitation to our wedding in the mail. I can’t imagine getting married without you there. It would mean a lot for you to come.”

  “Yes, yes. Of course. We would love to come.”

  “Great. I guess I’ll see you at work tomorrow then.”

  “Yeah, me too,” Connor told him.

  “You certainly will. Come in with your sleeves rolled up. It’s going to be a very busy day with the election and the list of things I have to get you started on.”

  “Looking forward to it,” Connor told him, Owen nodding in agreement. The trio departed, leaving Aaron a few minutes of downtime before his next meeting. He used them to return to his house and sneak a kiss from Kate.

  “How’s your day going?” she asked.

  “It’s perfect now,” he told her, pulling her into a much more meaningful kiss.

  A knock on the door disrupted them, Kate pulling away with a sigh and motioning for him to go answer it.

  “I’m sorry. I guess this is our life now.”

  “As long as we’re together,” she told him, watching as a member of the Dragon Guard handed him a note and he nodded his head toward him.

  “Work beckons. See you at dinner?”

  “Yes, you will,” she told him, smiling up at him from where she sat looking at room decor.

  CHAPTER 24

  Several months had passed since Aaron had taken down Aiden and put the village back on a path to becoming a place where people could live peacefully and even thrive. Things were going well. Homes were being rebuilt. Families were being reunited. Even the people who had been avid supporters of Aiden had come around or moved away to somewhere more to their liking.

  “Today is going to be grand,” Kate said excitedly, waltzing into the front room of their house in a lovely summer dress, her long, dark hair pulled up into a high ponytail that fell in long ringlets. She looked beautiful. He was overcome with need for her as he pulled her into his arms.

  “Whoa, now hold up there, big boy. You aren’t mussing me all up right before the wedding! You need to get dressed so we can go!” she laughed, pushing him away.

  “I can’t believe you’re rejecting me,” he said, in a mock pout.

  “I would never reject you. I promise that I will make it all up to you in any way you’d like later tonight.”

  “Oh, I’ll have something to look forward to then, won’t I?”

  “I know I will,” she said. “Now, go get dressed!”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he laughed, walking hurriedly toward their bedroom to get changed.

  Once he was dressed, they strolled hand-in-hand toward the large church that stood to one side of the village. There were already people gathered around, waiting for the ceremony to begin. They were hard-pressed to even get into the church with the number of people that insisted on stopping by to give their regards or ask questions about various happenings in the village. It seemed to take forever to get to their seats at the front of the church. The half dozen members of the Dragon Guard that followed them stood nearby, having followed them at an unobtrusive pace as they normally did.

  Aaron found it annoying to have to be babysat by them everywhere he went, but the Council insisted on it. Despite how well things were going and how content people seemed, there were still those about who might wish to do him harm. More than ever, the Council seemed to want to protect their leader, to make sure he remained in power for as long as it took to get their clan and their village back to its glory days.

  He felt nervous as he and Kate turned to watch the bride walk down the aisle. Despite Owen’s thoughts that Amy’s dress would hide her baby bulge, it was very much visible, as she was already seven months along at this point. Still, she made a beautiful bride, looking positively radiant as she grew closer to the groom with every step.

  Aaron squeezed Kate’s hand as they said their vows, smiling softly at her as she leaned on his arm, hugging her face against his shoulder. It was truly a touching moment. Owen was the first dragon shifter in their clan to marry a human in a very long time. It had long been frowned upon by the Council, and Aiden had completely forbidden it when he was there.

  “Well, this is a first,” one of the village elders said to Aaron afterward at the reception, which had been opened to the public and not just the wedding attendees.

  “What’s that?”

  “Letting a human marry a shifter. It’s an abomination.”

  “Times have changed, Mr. Gauld. We no longer live in the Dark Ages.”

  “I don’t know about that. The times seem pretty dark to me when we allow one of our most esteemed members of the Dragon Guard to marry a human. If that isn’t bad enough, they couldn’t even wait to bring a baby into this world. Who knows what kind of monstrosity it will be!”

  “It will be fine, Mr. Gauld. It will just be a baby. A very special baby to two people who love one another deeply. We can’t keep clinging to yesterday if we are to move into the modern world.”

  “The modern world will never accept us, I’m afraid. What do they know of dragon shifters? What would they do with us if they did? To bring one into our own village seems irresponsible, at best.”

>   “Well, Mr. Gauld. I think it will be just fine. If you will excuse me, I see that my own mate has been stranded by the punch bowl. I’m going to need to rescue her if I want to be allowed back in our house later on,” he laughed, trying to excuse himself from the conversation without being offensive. People like Mr. Gauld would never see a new way, and to argue with them served little purpose.

  “What was that all about?” Kate asked as he joined her by the long table laden with food and drink. “You looked like you were ready to gnaw your own arm off to get away from him.”

  “Just a relic talking like relics do,” he replied, kissing her on the cheek before turning his attention to Emily, standing beside her. “How are you, Emily?”

  “I’m good. Did you enjoy the wedding?”

  “It was beautiful. Are guys allowed to say that?” he laughed.

  “Yes, I suppose they are.”

  “I didn’t realize that you and Connor had gotten married, as well.”

  “Yes, it was under very different circumstances and very informal. We are thinking of having another, more formal wedding now that we are able to do it with our families present, but it will be some time in the future.”

  “Well, we’ll look forward to attending yours as well.”

  “You’ll be at the top of our list.”

  “Aaron, Emily and I were just discussing having a get together at the house next week sometime. We haven’t really had any guests over with all the redecorating going on. The place was a complete nightmare for weeks, but we’ve got it looking much cheerier now, don’t we?”

  “I’ll say. Though I was very sad to see the cast-iron tub with the hooved claws and demonic shower head in the master bath go,” he joked.

  “Are you kidding me? It was really that bad?”

  “Oh, you have no idea. It was like a goth kid’s fantasy in there. Every macabre or tacky gold thing you can think of was prominently displayed. The walls were all painted a flat slate color, and the curtains were extremely heavy to prevent any light from getting in. If I didn’t know better, I would have sworn he was a vampire rather than a dragon shifter.”

  “I wish I could have seen it before you started dismantling it,” Emily laughed. “Connor told me it was the most hideous thing he had ever laid eyes on.”

  “He didn’t exaggerate,” Kate laughed.

  “Oh, looks like they are getting ready to start the formal reception. Shall we?” Emily asked, pointing toward the long table where Amy and Owen were arriving to take their seats for toasts.

  “I guess that’s our cue to join them then,” Aaron replied, putting his arm around Kate’s waist and his hand on her back to guide her toward their seats for the reception.

  His heart raced with anticipation as he waited, the words being said at the toast table by the bride and groom barely registering in his foggy brain. By the time they were finished, he felt completely anxious. He wondered what everyone would think of their dragon leader now if they could see what a nervous wreck he was.

  As the band began to play a soft tune, Owen and Amy took their places on the dance floor, dancing quietly against one another. They were all smiles and happiness. It was incredibly heart-warming.

  “Aren’t they a beautiful couple?” Kate commented as she watched them whimsically.

  “Yes, inside and out. I don’t think you will find many better than the McCord family in this village, and having one more on board can only be a blessing.”

  “Very true. It will be nice to see a fresh little face in the village.”

  Taking a deep breath, Aaron braced himself and turned toward her, covering her hand with his own. He smiled softly at her as the music finished and more was introduced, bringing people from the tables out and onto the floor to join the bride and groom after their first dance.

  “Don’t you want to dance?” Kate asked, already rising from her seat.

  “Not yet. Perhaps in a moment,” he said, pulling her back down toward him.

  “What’s wrong, Aaron? You look like a ghost. Why have you gone so pale?” she asked.

  “Nothing is wrong. In fact, nothing could be better,” he said, swallowing hard as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a beautiful diamond and sapphire ring that his mother had given him. It had belonged to her mother, and he had asked for it just for this occasion. Bringing it up to her hand, he looked at her.

  “Oh, my God,” she breathed, anticipating his words already.

  “Kate, I know it’s so cliché to propose at a wedding, but I couldn’t think of a better place to hedge my bets at getting the right answer. Will you marry me?” he said, smiling sheepishly.

  “Yes! Of course I will!” she said, her hand trembling as he slipped the ring onto her finger and stood, pulling her up onto her feet and twirling her around.

  “Shall we dance now?”

  “We shall dance now and forever!” she said happily, holding out her hand to admire the ring that now graced her finger as they made their way onto the floor.

  Before the night was out, everyone was aware of their new dragon leader’s engagement and congratulated them. The champagne flowed freely as the village celebrated not only the marriage that had just taken place, but the future joining of Kate and Aaron.

  CHAPTER 25

  The summer gave way to winter as life continued in the village. Morale was at an all-time high among the villagers, their way of life finally restored to a level some hadn’t felt in years and others had never experienced. Families had restored many of their homes that had fallen into disrepair either while they were exiled or because they couldn’t afford to fix them under the oppressive rule of Aiden.

  Some had lost their homes altogether when they had gotten into such poor shape that Aiden had them dozed to the ground as being unsightly, leaving the families homeless. Many had been living in overcrowded homes with others or even in tents in the woods that surrounded the village itself. Aaron was heartbroken that, even before his family had fled, he had never realized what poverty some of his own clan had lived in, and he made a point to give them a hand up, using Council funds to assist them and holding building parties with their fellow villagers to restore homes with a combination of new and reclaimed materials.

  Somewhere in the midst of all that, he and Kate had worked at planning their own wedding. There were no invitations to be sent out. They had decided that everyone in the village would be invited into the grand hall for their nuptials. Most had never been allowed inside the Council buildings unless on trial for something, and almost no one had ever been in the inner sanctum of the grand hall that adjoined their home and was only used for formal Council events.

  When the big day came, all were welcomed with open doors and open arms. Connor and Emily, common guests by now, had arrived early so that Emily could help Kate get ready. Owen and Amy had come later, always late these days now that they had their baby daughter, Dawn, to attend to before they could go out. She was a beautiful little girl, already with a head of long, platinum blonde hair and crystal blue eyes. No one was yet sure of her powers or if she had any, but time would tell.

  “Aren’t you ready for one of these yet, Emily?” Amy teased her sister-in-law as they flitted about with Kate in her dressing room.

  “Are you kidding me? That is the last thing I need right now. We have so much going on with building the new house and trying to run the business. I can’t imagine having one of those to cart around. I’ll just stick with stealing baby Dawn from time to time when I feel like playing with a baby. It’s always nice to spoil them and then give them back,” she laughed.

  “Right. I’ll remember that when you eventually do have one of your own.”

  “I’m sure you will. How about you, Kate? You ready to get started on a family?” Emily asked, passing the buck to someone else.

  “Please! I think I should probably finish with the wedding first. I will see what I can do during the honeymoon,” she said dryly, causing the other two to laugh loudly.

/>   A knock on the door caused them all to jump and then laugh some more at themselves for it. Walking over to the door, Emily opened it to find Owen on the other side, holding Dawn up as if she were radioactive.

  “I think she pooed her nappie,” he offered.

  “Oh, yes. I forgot that dragons are violently allergic to baby poop,” she laughed, taking Dawn from him and pushing him back out the door. “Get out. You can’t see the bride.”

  “That’s only the groom,” he called back.

  “Well, you will probably tell him. Now, shoo,” she replied through the door, looking at Dawn with a smile. The baby cooed up at her and then made the most unappealing noise in her undercarriage.

  “Oh, that’s vile!” Emily shrieked, holding her nose.

  “I’ll say it is. This is what you girls have to look forward to – babies that poo themselves and husbands who think it’s too toxic to handle. Owen is willing to pump sewage out of the back garden when it backs up, but let this little girl do a dirty and he’ll sell his soul to get out of changing her.”

  “Men!” Emily laughed.

  “Hey, I’m about to marry one, and you girls are scaring me. I might have to rethink my friends if this is your idea of being supportive!” Kate teased them.

  Of course, everything went off without the slightest hitch as Kate walked down the aisle and joined hands with Aaron. He looked positively dashing in his tuxedo. There was not an ounce of doubt in her mind that he was the only man for her. Marrying him would no doubt be one of the best days of her life when she grew older and remembered the events that had passed by with time.

  Sharing their nuptials with one another and the villagers that had joined them for the occasion felt like the perfect ending to a fairy tale she had never dreamed she would experience. In many ways, Aaron had rescued her. Without him, she and her mother would have lived out their lives in poverty, making ends meet by selling pastries and handmade bobbles down at the markets to locals.

  He had rescued her, like a princess that had been sent away by an evil doer. Except that wasn’t how the fairy tale was supposed to go, was it? There was a prince and he rescued his princess, not a dragon rescuing his dragon. Wasn’t it usually the dragon that the girl was being rescued from? Well, she supposed at least that much of the story was accurate, as he had saved her from what Aiden had intended for her life. He had saved her from an evil dragon, and how much more of a fairy tale could she hope for than the beautiful man standing before her in this grand hall today?