But honestly, what did it matter what she wore? She had serious work to do. What she did it in was irrelevant. Although the look in Roland’s eyes when she wore her new clothes was always satisfying. As it was when he took them off. Which he was flatteringly eager to do despite his injury.
But, “Information first, please,” was all she said. She already had all the jewels a simple woman needed. And all the jewel boxes too.
“We have proof that Vadim of Montenegro knew the spell of invisibility.”
Kayla’s eyes widened — first in disbelief, and then in the realization that this was her new normal. “So that’s how Vadim got past your sentries and cameras!”
“Probably.” Roland smiled at her, his most charming smile. “Are you ready for your present?”
“What is it this time?” She took the little carved casket with careless hands, but she put on a shiny smile when she saw his disappointed face. He looked as put out as Aidan did when she was offhand with his daily collected seashells or rocks. Dragons, young or old, were all the same apparently. World class hoarders.
All that lay inside the chest’s fragrant cedar interior were papers and photographs. She unfolded the document on top and her hands began to shake. It was a genealogical tree.
Tipene Te Kanewa married Elsa von Fromm. They had one son, James Stephen Te Kanewa who married Susan Butler Smith. They had one daughter Kayla Susan (Te Kanewa) Cooper. Who had married Roland Christian Michael Voros.
Tears blurred her eyes. She picked up the photographs and looked through them. Tipene was a tall, handsome boy — s o young in this photograph he had no facial tattoos at all — despite being the son of a chieftain. Elsa was blonde and pretty. James and Susan were both wearing the uniform of the New Zealand military. They too looked impossibly young.
“You found my family,” Kayla said brokenly.
Roland knelt before her. “My family too,” he said. “Aidan’s family.”
“Thank you.” Her curly head bent over the box searching for more treasures. She pulled up a sheet with medals taped to it. “Whose are these?”
“Tipene Te Kanewa’s. He was a warrior, so he joined the military. He was killed in Vietnam,” Roland told her.
“I never dreamed,” said Kayla. “This is the best gift you have ever given me —besides Aidan.”
“Better than my heart, dearest?”
She cupped his face with both her hands and kissed his anxious mouth. “No, not better than that,” she admitted.
“Will you marry me again, Kayla. We will have a proper ceremony on Dreki. You can wear a wedding dress of cloth of gold and we will celebrate as Finns do.”
“If you think it is safe. But an ordinary wedding dress will do.” Cloth of gold! Whatever for?
“Not for the Baroness Voros and the Marschallin of the Grand Council.” Roland picked her up from her chair with his one good hand.
“I’m too heavy for you, you’ll hurt your arm,” she protested giggling.
“Never.” He put his good arm under her buttocks and held her close.
“Vadim is dead. We can find no trace of Prince Maximilian of Landor. Hahona is buried. Once we have mourned him properly, we can have a true dragon wedding.”
“Because you love me?”
He shook his blond head. “Not because I love you, although I do. More than life itself. But because you love me, heart of my heart! Your love is greater than riches. Worth more than anything else in the world to me.”
“You don’t deserve it, Ro, but I do love you. Even though you are a faithless hound.”
“I have never been unfaithful to you, Beloved,” he protested.
Kayla looked at his hard, indignant face. He spoke the truth. “What about all those women you’ve been photographed with?”
He shook his blond head. “I have never so much as kissed one of them. How could I when I was bonded to you? You hold my heart, Beloved. I love you, and I think you love me. And I think you have forgiven me for my discourtesy. And I believe you enjoy being a dragoness, dearest.”
He looked so abject, her heart melted.
“I do and I have, and I do.” She drew in a deep breath. “I love you Roland Voros.”
“And you are bonded to me?”
“Forever.”
“Then I have all my heart desires.” The Baron Voros kissed his wife passionately and triumphantly.
“So I guess you will be a bit disappointed to learn that I am pregnant again?”
For answer he bore her off to their bedchamber.
Really Alpha Males were so delightfully predictable!
<<<<>>>>
About the Author
Isadora loves the beautiful mountains of the Northwest and hopes you enjoy their furry inhabitants as much as she does.
Thanks for reading!
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Bearly Beloved brings you the tender, heartwarming love story of widowed Debbie Benoit and her girlhood crush, former bad boy Gilbert Bascom.
Thirty years later, Gilbert Bascom returns to Yakima Ridge and discovers his passionate feelings for his buxom BBW haven’t changed since he was a wild cub. Can this burly, hard living, billionaire bearshifter persuade this beautiful bear that she’s his one and only?
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