“Oh!” Larisa’s eyes widened. This was kind of awkward.
“And he couldn’t be happier.” Zara patted his thigh. “Isn’t that right?”
“Who would want palaces and jewels when they could have true love instead?” He placed his hand over Zara’s.
“You certainly have a colorful family.” Larisa leaned on Ivan’s shoulder, watching the world go by through the truck’s windows.
“And you haven’t met Grandma Sylvie yet,” Karros added.
“I thought we were going to see Grandma Hannah?” Larisa was getting confused by Ivan’s extended family.
“Karros has another grandma. Grandma Hannah is the wise woman of the wildwood. Grandma Sylvie is... How would you describe her?” Zara asked Karros.
“Politely.” Karros chuckled. “She just loves shifters.”
“Stop teasing,” Zara told him. “Grandma Sylvie is getting used to her beloved grandchildren having shifters as mates.”
“Yes, now that she’s gotten used to the fact that there is nothing she can do to force Flora and me back together.” Karros looked over his shoulder to Larisa. “When she found out that Flora was the mate of a bear shifter, she figured she’d arrange another marriage with another fae lord. She wanted our family to prosper.”
“So, you can imagine her delight when both Elise and Karros were claimed by shifters, too.” Zara rolled her eyes as Karros raised his eyebrow at her. “What?”
“Claimed? You make it sound as if you own me.” Karros turned around and sat back in his seat.
“I do own you.” Zara stroked his cheek lightly. “Your body and soul are mine.”
Karros kissed the palm of her hand. “I’m all yours, freely given.”
Larisa swallowed the lump of emotion that formed in her throat. She didn’t know if Ivan owned her body and soul yet. Not entirely. But he did hold a part of her that would never be free again.
Chapter Fourteen – Ivan
The trip through the fae realm was not as interesting as he’d hoped.
Perhaps that’s a good thing, his dragon said drily.
I expected it to be different. Larisa is right, this part of the realm looks similar to Wishing Moon Bay. Ivan stretched, he’d been sitting in the truck too long and wanted to get out and stretch his legs.
I’d like to stretch my wings, his dragon replied.
Now that would make things more interesting. Ivan glanced out of the window. The flora is different. I have never seen those fruits in Wishing Moon Bay or the world beyond.
The fruit he referred to was about a half a foot long, red, and lumpy.
“Lycril,” Karros told them. “It’s good for stomachache.”
“Your Grandma Hannah knows a lot about this stuff, doesn’t she?” Larisa asked. “You did call her a wise woman.”
“She is. What she doesn’t know isn’t worth knowing. At least that’s what my mom always said.” Karros pointed to the right. “There’s a road up ahead. We need to take it and follow it for a couple of miles.”
Zara nodded and turned right, the temperature in the truck dropped as they followed the road which was bordered on both sides by trees that formed a tunnel with their branches.
“What is that?” Larisa pointed to a shrub with bright yellow flowers.
“It’s a sunbrea. The flowers are used to make a tonic that helps soothe sunburn.” Karros rolled down his window and rested his chin on the door.
“Do you miss living here?” Ivan asked.
Zara glanced sideways at her mate, waiting for him to answer.
“Sometimes, but we visit often. And I like living in Wishing Moon Bay because I have more freedom over my life. Here, there are certain expectations. And my family thinks they have the right to interfere.” Karros stuck his hand out of the window and grabbed a handful of nuts from a bush on the side of the road. “Stolaard. They are nutritious and filling. A person can survive on a handful of these for days.”
“A fae might,” Zara replied lightly. “But I bet a shifter would need at least three handfuls.”
Karros chuckled. “I have seen how much your brothers eat.”
“And don’t bring those back to Wishing Moon Bay,” Ivan added. “I’d be out of business if people didn’t need to eat more food.”
“I said you could survive on them,” Karros replied. “I didn’t say they tasted good. Your restaurant is safe, don’t worry.”
“Good.” Ivan held out his hand. “Can I try one?”
“Sure.” Karros dropped one into his hand. “Larisa?”
“I’ll try anything once.” She took one of the nuts and examined it closely before sniffing it.
“You have to crack it open with the heel of your hand on a hard surface.” Karros placed one of the nuts on the dashboard and rolled the heel of his hand over the nut before pushing down firmly.
“Don’t damage the interior,” Zara warned. “Aiden will go crazy if there’s a dent anywhere in his precious truck.”
“There.” Karros held up the nut and wiped the dashboard clean with his sleeve. “No trace. Want to try one?” He offered the nut to Zara who wrinkled her nose.
“It smells.” Zara shook her head. “Karros wasn’t joking, your business is safe. No one would want to eat those nuts unless their life depended on it.”
Ivan winked at Larisa and rolled his nut with the heel of his hand, then pressed down hard. There was a satisfying crack, and he was rewarded with a small pale, cream-colored nut. He picked it up and sniffed it. Zara was right, it smelled like someone had forgotten to take the trash out. He popped it in his mouth and chewed. It tasted as bad as it smelled, and he opened his pack and pulled out his water bottle.
“That’s good?” Larisa had cracked her nut but didn’t eat it.
“It tastes like garbage,” Ivan told her.
Larisa screwed up her face, opened her mouth, and popped the nut onto her tongue. With a disgusted expression on her face, she chewed and quickly swallowed the nut. “That is gross.”
Ivan handed her the water bottle. “But uniquely satisfying.”
“Mmm.” Larisa didn’t look too convinced.
“Here, I brought some food.” Ivan grabbed the pack which contained the food he’d brought.
“Shouldn’t we save that in case we need it later?” Zara asked. “We don’t know where this little adventure is going to end.”
“Don’t worry, Grandma Hannah will have something tasty for us to eat. She likes to cook for her visitors.” Karros watched the road ahead. “The turn-off is coming up soon.”
A half an hour later, they arrived in a small clearing set back from the road. In the center of the clearing was a wooden cabin with herbs drying on the porch. A large tabby cat jumped down from a rocking chair and stretched before watching them lazily.
“This is it.” Karros opened the truck door and got out. “Hey there, Tillywig. Are you coming to say hello?” The cat stared at him for a moment and then sauntered over to them. “Have you got a purr for me?”
“There you are!” The cabin door opened and an elderly, but sprightly, woman dressed in tan cotton pants and hiking boots came out to meet them.
“Hey, Grandma Hannah.” Karros rubbed Tillywig’s chin and then stood up. “This is Larisa, and this is Ivan.”
Grandma Hannah turned her head from side to side as she stared at Ivan. “The spell worked?”
“It did.” Ivan nodded.
“Good. Good.” She beckoned to them and headed back toward the cabin. “You should come inside. I don’t know how long the spell will keep working. It’s been a long time since I used it.”
Ivan’s heart thundered in his chest. “But have you used it before?”
Grandma Hannah stopped and turned to face Ivan. “I was asked to cast the spell before. Yes. A long time ago.”
“Do you know who it was for?” Larisa asked quietly.
“Do you know the name of the dragon shifter you used it on?” Ivan’s nostrils flared as his dragon pushed
to be allowed free, but Ivan kept him in check.
If she doesn’t tell us, we should make her tell, his dragon was unusually riled.
You need to stay calm, Ivan told him.
“I was never told his name. The less anyone knew the better.” Grandma Hannah came toward him. “You want to know if it was your father.”
“Yes.” Ivan nodded.
“I wish I could tell you. But I honestly don’t know.” Her eyes were full of sympathy, and it was impossible not to believe her.
“So why did you do it?” Larisa asked. “The fae don’t like dragons so you didn’t cast the spell because it was for a friend. So why?”
Grandma Hannah’s eyes narrowed as she switched her attention to Larisa. “A good question.”
“And the answer?” Larisa pushed for the information.
“Because a good friend asked me to cast the spell.” She gave a small laugh. “And I was young and wanted to know if I could do it. The spell was old, and since the fae and dragons don’t mix, it hadn’t been used for years. When I cast it, there was a certain thrill in knowing I was the only one who knew the spell.” She sighed and her shoulders slumped forward. “It was the moment I knew how powerful magic could be. It was the moment that set me on the path to where I am now.”
“Fate,” Karros murmured.
Grandma Hannah nodded. “Fate.” She looked down at the ground before she raised her eyes to meet Ivan’s. “If I had to guess, since you are standing here, I would say that the spell was for your father.”
Ivan stepped back as if she’d punched him in the gut.
“But I think you already guessed that, didn’t you, Ivan Kelts, dragon shifter?” Grandma Hannah had a way of looking right through you, as if she could see the very essence of you.
She makes my scales crawl, his dragon said drily.
Ivan chuckled. You’re being paranoid.
How do we know she isn’t part of the reason our family was murdered? His dragon didn’t like this at all.
She’s trying to help us. As Karros said, we’re family now. I doubt Grandma Hannah would do anything to hurt us. Not when both Karros and Elise would suffer because of it. Ivan was certain they could trust Grandma Hannah, just as he trusted his brothers’ mates. She might be a fae but not all fae hated dragons.
They don’t hate us, Ivan’s dragon said. They’re wary of us. But why?
Maybe we’ll find out one day. But we’re not here to solve the whole dragon and fae issue, we’re here to get the information we need. And whether you like it or not, Grandma Hannah is our best chance of doing just that.
His dragon puffed out a plume of smoke. It was the closest Ivan was likely to get to an agreement from his other side.
He just hoped he wouldn’t live to regret his decision.
Chapter Fifteen – Larisa
It was as if part of Ivan disappeared when he was talking to his dragon in his head. Larisa wasn’t the only one to notice this. Grandma Hannah seemed intrigued by him. When she caught herself staring, Hannah would put her hand to her cheek to hide the pink tinge that infused her skin. It was as if she were in the presence of a movie star she’d adored her whole life.
“Shall we get inside?” Karros put his hand on Larisa’s elbow and guided her toward the cabin. Ivan jerked awake and followed as soon as she took a step away from him.
Interesting. The connection between them seemed to affect him even when he was preoccupied.
“Ivan,” Grandma Hannah walked by his side as he followed Larisa. “Can I see the pendant?”
“I don’t have it,” Ivan answered.
“You don’t?” Grandma Hannah asked. “I thought you wanted me to take a look at it and tell you what I know.”
“I have it,” Larisa told her.
“Can I see it?” Grandma Hannah studied Larisa closely. “I’ll give it back.”
Larisa nodded. “First, can you tell me what you know about the other dragon shifter? The one you cast a spell on.”
“There’s not much to tell, but what I do know, I am happy to share with you.” She stopped walking, her eyes downturned.
“What is it?” Ivan asked.
“If you want more answers, there’s someone you should go speak to. After you have finished here, you should visit him.”
“Who?” Ivan asked and Larisa waited at the door leading to the cabin, she wanted to hear this information, too. “Who is this person? A fae or someone else?”
“Another dragon shifter?” Larisa asked.
“My dragon is suddenly very interested in what you have to say, Grandma Hannah. We have never met a dragon shifter from the dragon isle. He wants to know what they were like.” Ivan stared at the older woman intently.
“Have you ever met another dragon at all?” Grandma Hannah’s expression filled with sympathy.
“The only other dragons I’ve ever met lives in the world beyond.” Ivan must trust the fae wise woman to share this information with her. Dragons outside of Wishing Moon Bay were unheard of. In all her searching, Larisa had never found one, only rumors and myths.
“I see. I was worried you had lived your life without ever knowing your own kind,” Grandma Hannah said.
“We only met the other dragons a couple of months ago.”
“Maybe that’s a good thing. Valerie raised you without their influence.” She surveyed Ivan with a critical eye, as if he might be a poisoned fruit hanging from a tree.
“Is that the fae talking or your personal opinion?” Ivan asked.
“Perhaps a little of both.” She tucked her hand under his elbow. “Come on, let’s go inside. I’m still not comfortable having a dragon standing outside for any passerby to see.”
“Since when does anyone pass by your house?” Karros called.
“When people want a spell or a potion to cure an ailment, you’d be surprised how many of them are just passing by,” Hannah chortled.
They all went inside, and Hannah put the kettle on to boil while she opened various jars containing herb teas. Larisa would kill for a nice cup of strong coffee, but there didn’t seem to be a coffee pot in sight unless it was hidden in one of the cupboards. Larisa was worried the old woman might turn her into a frog or something unsavory if she asked for coffee instead of the scented tea.
Karros helped his grandma while Ivan and Larisa checked out all the potions and lotions on the shelves along one side of a large room filled with dried ingredients, most of which were unfamiliar to them.
“Are you sure you can trust her?” Larisa whispered as she leaned over and picked up a pot filled with dried leaves. They smelled wonderful but for all she knew, they might be deadly.
“I do.” Ivan nodded. “And we have to start trusting someone or we’re never going to get anywhere.”
“I think I’d warm to her more if it wasn’t so obvious that the fae really don’t like dragons.” She placed the pot of dried leaves back on the wooden table where she’d found them alongside a mortar and pestle.
“Karros and Elise like me. And so does Flora. We’ve gotten past the whole fae not liking dragon shifters issue and I think Grandma Hannah is very open-minded about a lot of things.” He picked up a small purse and opened it up. “If I’m not mistaken, this is shifter hair.”
“Yuck.” She screwed up her face.
“Yuck indeed. But fae don’t like shifters very much at all. Not just dragon shifters. Yet a shifter must have given this fur to Grandma Hannah.” He closed the purse and put it back where he’d found it.
Larisa pointed her finger at him. “Or she caught a shifter out in the woods and plucked the fur from its back.” Her eyes widened and she nodded. “You have lived a sheltered life in Wishing Moon Bay. It’s a good thing I’m here to warn you of how the world really works.”
Ivan laughed as he reached for her hand and pulled her close. “I know how the world works. I also know about shifters, and they don’t get caught easily.”
“Maybe she baited a trap with one of her poti
ons. Or put a spell on them?” Larisa didn’t resist as he pulled her into his arms.
“I’m going to trust her.” He brushed his lips against hers. Ivan was good at casting his own spell where she was concerned. It would not take many more of his kisses and she would give him whatever he wanted.
“And this person who helped the dragon shifter?” She leaned on his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart. “Do we trust them, too? She said she cast the spell a long time ago. If she thinks it was for your father, we’re talking over forty years ago.”
“I know,” he said quietly.
“She might have trusted him then, but people change.” Larisa tilted her head back and looked up at him. “Please, be on your guard.”
“I will. And I have you to remind me not to believe everyone I meet is a good person or isn’t after something for themselves.”
Larisa pulled away from him and went to the window overlooking the forest. “I wish I could believe in everyone like you do. I wish I wasn’t so mistrustful.”
“We’ve lived very different lives.” Ivan came up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “In Wishing Moon Bay, we have always been safe. But our world is so small. You have traveled so far and seen so much. You’ve learned to be wary while I have a tendency toward naivety.”
She turned and faced him. “So I am going to be the one protecting you.”
He chuckled. “I think you are.”
“We should go drink our tea.” She reached for his hand and pulled him out of the room. “Then we should leave before she makes you turn into a dragon so she can pickle your scales.”
“I could give her some of my dragon’s toenail clippings,” Ivan suggested.
“Urgh, that is gross.” She cast him an appalled look over her shoulder. “I might have to rethink having children if that’s the level of humor I have to look forward to.”
“I was raised alongside five other boys. You might have to break me from the toilet humor.”
“Oh, that is first on the list of changes I intend to make,” she assured him.
“Ah, there you are. Come sit down and drink your tea. There’s cake, too. Honey cake since Karros’s mate is here. Then we can talk.” Grandma Hannah handed them each a cup of tea.
The Dragon Shifter's Desire: A Wishing Moon Bay Shifter Romance Page 10
