Panting heavily, Kieron finally managed to shift and he crouched on the ground. Sweat was pouring off his back when he stood up.
“T-thank you,” he managed and pointed to his brother. “I'll carry him.”
Breene nodded and handed Lachlan over. The two brothers had just been freed and reunited. It was understandable that Kieron wanted to have his brother near him all the time.
“Lester will show you to a guest bedroom,” Breene said, walking towards his Bentley.
“Where are you going?” Simone started.
“To get a doctor.”
Simone raised her brows but said nothing. Then she smiled and nodded. “I'll go prepare some food for you boys,” she said and hurried towards the kitchen.
Breene drove straight to Dr. Emerson's house and rang the bell. He hoped that he wasn't making a mistake, but there was no other doctor he could trust.
Lachlan was in pretty bad shape. The young man needed immediate medical attention.
After jabbing at the doorbell for a few minutes, the door opened and Dr. Emerson peered out. “Oh, Breene, it's you. I was just loading the dishwasher. Come on in...”
“No, no, there's no time,” Breene said. “I need you to come with me, Dr. Emerson.”
The doctor looked alarmed. “Is something wrong?”
“Yes. He...he is very ill, Dr. Emerson.”
“I'll get my bag right away.”
The doctor hurried into the house and returned with his big, black bag. He threw on a jacket and locked his front door hurriedly.
“Where is the patient?” Dr. Emerson asked as he hopped into Breene's car.
“In...my castle.”
“Oh!” At the doctor's look of alarm, Breene said quickly, “It's not Simone.”
The doctor opened his mouth then clamped it shut again as he regarded Breene thoughtfully. When Breene offered no further information about the patient, Dr. Emerson leaned back and sighed as they sped towards the castle. In no time at all, they had arrived at the castle gates.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
The doctor got out of the car once Breene screeched to a stop. “This way please, Dr. Emerson,” Breene urged, hurrying the doctor into the castle and down the corridors.
Breene opened the door of the largest guestroom and saw Lachlan lying on the bed with the sheets pulled up to his waist. Kieron was sitting at his side, while Simone and Lester hovered worriedly by the bed.
“The doctor's here,” Breene announced and gave Kieron a pointed look. “Let the doctor take a look at Lachlan.”
Kieron stood up but didn't step away. Dr. Emerson opened his bag and pulled out his stethoscope, thermometer and other equipment. He took Lachlan's temperature, pulse, blood pressure and examined the horrific cuts and wounds on his body with a grave expression. But he said nothing and asked no questions.
Finally, the doctor stood up and faced them. “This young man is badly dehydrated and he's lost a lot of blood. He has also lost...more than just blood. But he is strong, and his vitals are good. With proper care, rest and nutrition, he should be able to recover fully. But I will have to monitor him closely. If any of his organs start to shut down, early intervention will save his life. Do you understand?”
Kieron was clenching and unclenching his fists. “He will not die. Lachlan will not die,” he growled.
Dr. Emerson dragged his gaze from Kieron to Breene. “Are they...your kin?” he asked Breene quietly. “Your...dragonkin?”
Breene's eyes almost popped out of his head. “You know?”
The doctor smiled. “Yes. We all know.”
“You all…? You mean...the whole town?” he sputtered.
“Yes.”
“How? Was it…?”
“No. Teresa never breathed a word.” Dr. Emerson gave a lopsided smile. “Oh, we did try to find out more from her, but your personal assistant is very tight-lipped and loyal. All she would say was: 'Mr Magnus is what he is, and he is a very good boss!'”
Simone rounded on Breene. “You mean...Teresa knew?”
Breene winced. “I...I spewed fire once in my office. Teresa and William put out the fire with the fire extinguisher. I was having a really bad day...”
“Teresa knew, and she never told me!” Simone huffed. “Hmph, no wonder you threw such a grand wedding for Teresa and William.”
“It's not a bribe,” Breene said defensively. “I wasn't trying to bribe them to keep them quiet. I really wanted to thank them.”
“I know,” Simone replied, laughing. “The people of Redrock Valley are very loyal and trustworthy.”
“But...how did the rest of the town know?” Breene asked, turning to the doctor in amazement.
Dr. Emerson chuckled. “On some nights, we saw a beautiful, silver dragon soaring above the town. And that dragon always flew back to the castle.”
“Ah...”
“You didn't say anything to us, so we figured you wanted to keep it a secret. So we kept it a secret.” Dr. Emerson shrugged.
Breene was speechless. He had always known that the townspeople were very discreet, caring and true-hearted. He was truly, deeply touched and humbled. All along he'd thought that he was taking care of the town when in fact, it was the town that was sheltering and protecting him and his secrets.
“Oh, and we know about your gargoyle too. He's always at a different part of the castle. One morning we'll see him on the pillar. The next afternoon we'll see him perched on the roof. And when night fell, he would be nowhere to be seen,” Dr Emerson said, winking at Lester.
The doctor strode forward and extended his hand. “I am very pleased to finally meet you tonight. I am Dr. Emerson.”
“I...I'm Lester,” the gargoyle stuttered, picking his jaw up from the floor and shaking the doctor's hand with a look of utter disbelief and bewilderment.
Breene tucked Simone to his side and beamed. She had been communicating her thoughts to him and he totally agreed with her. It was a great idea, and it felt right.
Simone tilted her face up to him, her eyes shining with excitement and anticipation.
Breene cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. “To answer your earlier question, Dr. Emerson,” he said and Simone gave a squeal of joy.
“Yes. Kieron and Lachlan are my kin. They are my adopted brothers.”
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
“Deep breath, Simone,” Kerry said, holding her shoulders. Simone stared at her best friend and nodded. “And don't crush your bouquet. Loosen up!” Kerry hugged her.
“You look beautiful,” Tia, Kerry's younger sister, whispered as she adjusted Simone's train. “You're such a beautiful bride!”
Kerry and Tia were her matron and maid of honor. Kerry's whole family had arrived in Redrock Valley three weeks earlier to help Simone prepare for the wedding. They had been staying in the castle and getting to know Breene, his two dragon brothers and his butler and best friend, Lester. Everyone adored Corinne, Kerry and Nathan's two-year-old daughter.
Kerry's mate, Nathan Chase, straightened his bow tie and offered her his arm. “Let's do this, Simone. Let's get you married,” he said with a big grin. Simone grinned back. She was so glad that Breene and Nathan had become very good friends. The two men had a deep respect for each other, and Breene was delighted that Nathan would be the one walking Simone down the aisle.
Simone took a deep breath as the door of the grand ballroom opened. The townspeople broke into rapturous applause and cheers when Nathan walked her in.
Her goddaughter was the flower girl, and the toddler marched proudly in front of her and flung rose petals high into the air. “Gogo's a bride!” Corinne giggled delightedly. The girl hopped, skipped and broke into a run, pouring rose petals all over the red carpet.
“Corinne!” Nathan and Kerry called out to their mischievous daughter, but the girl was merrily racing towards the groom.
Just as she reached Breene, Corinne shifted into wolf form and pranced in circles around Breene and his groomsmen.
; Breene laughed and scooped the little pup up. As Nathan approached with Simone, Breene flashed her a dazzling smile and Simone's breath hitched. Her mate looked so handsome, so proud and happy.
Corinne leaped into her father's arms just as Nathan handed Simone to Breene. Nathan caught his playful pup and mock-growled at her as he stepped away.
Lester, Kieron and Lachlan were Breene's groomsmen. Lachlan had made a remarkable recovery, and credit had to go to Lester. The gargoyle cooked all kinds of nutritious, nourishing soups for Lachlan and patiently coaxed him into finishing every drop.
The two young dragons looked very dapper and dashing in their tuxedos and Simone could see the young women in the crowd eyeing the two brothers with interest. They were both tall, blond and blue-eyed, and they had the same striking, chiseled features. They were now working for Breene in his construction firm, and they were both very fast learners and hard workers.
Dr. Emerson stepped up proudly to the podium and cleared his throat. “Some time back, I think I actually mentioned to Simone that Breene might be inviting us all back to his castle for another wedding.” His eyes twinkled behind his glasses. “And here we are! All gathered here today for Breene and Simone's wedding!”
The crowd laughed and clapped before settling into a respectful silence for the ceremony. But as soon as Breene pulled his bride in for a kiss, everyone went wild.
Kerry dabbed at her eyes and blew her nose noisily, while Tia laughed and teased her sister. “You said you wouldn't cry!”
The entire town was here, and the townspeople all did their part to organize the food, decorations and entertainment. Lester didn't even have to lift a finger.
Lester had finally agreed to Breene hiring some part-time staff to help with the chores around the castle. But Lester still insisted on doing all the cooking himself.
The secret was out. In truth, it had never really been a secret.
Everyone in town knew who lived in the castle. They knew that three dragons, a gargoyle and a very happy human woman lived there.
But if any visitor or tourist should ask who lived in that splendid castle overlooking the town, the townsfolk always gave the same answer. “Oh, it's just Mr Magnus and his family!”
It was the truth. And the people of Redrock Valley always told the truth. And they never stopped loving and protecting their own.
Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed THE DRAGON TYCOON'S BRIDE, I hope you'll leave a review to help other readers find it. Thank you so much and I really appreciate all your amazing support!
Oh, and don't forget to Follow my page on Amazon for new releases!
www.amazon.com/Natalie-Kristen/e/B00B9Q9OSI
Lots of love,
Natalie xxx
Other titles by Natalie Kristen:
STANDALONE BILLIONAIRE SHIFTER ROMANCE
The Werewolf's Baby
The Dragon Tycoon's Bride
STORM DRAGONS (Scifi Alien Weredragon Romance)
VORIK
WOLVES HOLLOW
Alpha Next Door (Book 1)
Beta's Baby (Book 2)
BRIDES fur BEARS
Bad Bear (Book 1)
Brave Bear (Book 2)
Brash Bear (Book 3)
Big Bear (Book 4)
Mail-Order Bear (Book 5)
Dating Agency Bear (Book 6)
Guardian Bear (Book 7)
GRAY BEARS series
Marrying The Bear (Book 1)
Loving The Bear (Book 2)
Mating The Bear(Book3)
Tempting The Bear (Book 4)
Taming The Lion (Book 5)
Embracing The Lion (Book 6)
GRIMM BEARS (Fairytale Shifters)
Red and the Bear (Book 1)
Snow and the Bear (Book 2)
Gretel and the Bear (Book 3)
BEAR HEAT series
Bear's Bride (Book 1)
Bear's Kiss (Book 2)
Bear's Claim (Book 3)
Bear's Baby (Book 4)
Bear's Heart (Book 5)
Bear's Match (Book 6)
DRAGON HEAT
Taken by the Billionaire Dragon (Book 1)
Desired by the Billionaire Dragon (Book 2)
BEAR BRIDES
A Bride For The Bear
A Date For The Bear
A Wife For The Bear
A Mate For The Bear
Billionaire Bear Shifters Romance
Taken By The Bear
Owned By The Bear
Saved By The Bear
MISTY VALLEY SHIFTERS
Growl For Me
Fight For Me
Purrfect For Me
MATE series
Alpha Mate
Bear Mate
Vampire Mate
Wolf Mate
Wild Mate
Dark Mate
Blood Mate
BEAR COVE (A Small Town Love Story)
Bear My Heart
NORTH WOLVES
To Kill A Wolf
About the Author
Natalie Kristen is a writer who enjoys mixing the sweet with the spicy, the light with the dark, the possibilities with the unimaginable. She enjoys exploring paranormal and dystopian worlds, deep desires and inspiring romances. She is hopelessly addicted to coffee, chocolate, reading and writing. She loves to hear from readers so please feel free to follow her on Twitter and Facebook, or visit her blog for the latest news and updates.
To Follow her page on Amazon for new releases:
www.amazon.com/Natalie-Kristen/e/B00B9Q9OSI
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/NatalieKristenBooks
Blog:
nataliekristen.blogspot.com
Twitter:
@NatKristenBooks
The Dragon Tycoon's Bride: Billionaire Shifter Paranormal Romance Page 12
