by Autumn Dawn
“I’d appreciate anything you could teach me,” he said, pulling her close.
She growled against his chest. “My magic is useless to you.”
“I’ll have to use what nature gave me, then. You could have faith in me.”
She groaned. “You’re going to be a man about this, aren’t you?”
His chest vibrated with laughter. “I am a man, sweetheart. I thought you’d noticed.”
Chapter 15
There was nothing they could do for Gilly during her recovery, so they went home the next day. Stepping onto Bramble Burn was like enjoying a roast beef sandwich and a tall glass of cider after a long fast; she hadn’t realized how hungry she was until the power filled her.
It was a relief to get back to work. She spent three days a week growing trees and the rest of the week on other projects. Kjetil’s family liked to visit, and they had dinner at his parents’ or sister’s almost every weekend. No matter what they were doing, Kjetil made sure they took time to play.
He trained with Breaker several days a week and Indris visited to assist as soon as he was able.
The challenge was issued, and Kjetil would wait for Chaldaic in the valley below the dragon city at the end of the month.
Juniper never went to watch him practice; she knew it would only make her anxious. With a deadline to focus on, she was strict about her schedule. With her brother-in-law Aran’s assistance, she made a business plan and started thinking about savings and long-term investments. Kjetil was an excellent adviser and helped her with the tedious stuff she might have put off.
Of course, with Kjetil in her life, she was also able to think about what she wanted after the park was secured. A break was huge on her list, but she doubted it would be a long one. Knowing her, she’d manage a week or two and go crazy. She thought she’d always need a project to keep her happy.
As for children…visiting with Grigori’s mom made her realize how much work they were. Roza and Clara babysat three younger children while their mother worked, and sometimes they were there when Juniper stopped by. The second story apartment was clean and comfortable, but not meant for three extra kids. The chaos was enough to make her grateful for her wolf’s self-control. There was no way she could handle a baby right now.
Tatyana laughed when she noticed Juniper watching the children warily. She reached across the kitchen table and patted her hand, carefully avoiding the tray of cookies and their coffee. “They are worth it, Juni. When you are ready for children of your own, you will understand. They are exhausting, but the most important thing you’ll ever grow.”
Juniper looked at her curiously. “That’s definitely not the message women hear these days. It seems like teachers and the media make jobs more important.”
Tatyana looked troubled. “Family is the most important thing. What would you be, a lonely old woman with piles of money and no one to love? What a cold life.”
Juniper looked away. That was exactly what she’d been aiming for before Kjetil stepped into her life. He hadn’t let her push him away, and for the first time, she realized what he’d saved her from. Forget the monsters; he’d saved her from herself.
She was thinking about it later that day as she worked with her cocoa trees, her hands caressing a leaf. Peace filled her, the green of the plants soothing her soul. She loved the filtered light, the smell of damp earth and growing things.
Movement caught her eye, and she turned to see Kjetil watching her fondly. She realized he’d made his presence known before she saw him, so she wouldn’t startle. He’d learned to do that when his quiet movements made her drop a glass of juice one morning, cutting her feet. It was only a scratch, but he didn’t want a repeat.
“You really love this, don’t you?” He looked thoughtfully at the greenhouse and then back at her. “It’s not the monsters; you enjoy turning Bramble Burn into paradise.”
She blinked, surprised. “You didn’t know that? I never wanted to fight monsters; it’s just the place that called to me was infested.” She snuggled into his arms. “You should see the Blue Wood sometime. Growing up there was amazing. I wanted to be just like Grandpa when I grew up. There are trees there that greeted me like friends.”
“You said something once I didn’t understand; something about not seeing the Blue Wood again. Did you have a falling out?”
She sighed. “Nothing like that. It’s a territorial thing; he can’t help it. Grandpa loves me, but I can’t go into his wood, or he feels the urge to kill me. It’s hardwired, an impulse he can’t control. The older we get, the tougher it is to allow others with the talent to enter our woods. It’s like trusting them with a baby or a wife. It’s part of why he hardly leaves the Blue Wood; they’re co-dependent. He’s so powerful and strong, he needs the energy from the forest to survive. Blue Wood is specifically tailored to his needs.”
A glance at his face showed he didn’t get it. She tried again. “It’s like a wolf in the woods. There’s one herd of deer to feed you, and you have to be careful to manage them, to not eat too many. Suddenly another wolf shows up and starts harvesting your deer. You might panic, and you would definitely drive off the intruder.”
“Ah.” He tilted his head thoughtfully. “So it didn’t matter when you were little, because you didn’t eat more than scraps…”
“But now I’m grown, and I have a wolfish appetite. I would eat him out of house and home.”
He looked at her with concern. “So are you getting stronger, hungrier? Will Bramble Burn be enough?”
She grinned. “Oh, yeah. I’ve found my own Blue Wood. As for getting stronger…it’s like asking a genius if they’re getting smarter. How would I measure? After a while, growing a tree is growing a tree.” She frowned. “At some point, my management skills will mature and I’ll be able to control the entire park, not just this corner. Once the root network connects the Bramble, I’ll be able to get information about what’s happening by the walnut, for instance, and take care of any threats.”
He raised his brows. “So the park will be as tame as your grandpa’s territory?”
“The Blue Wood is not tame. There are plenty of dangerous creatures, and it’s deadly…to anyone but grandpa and me.” She flashed a grin. “You won’t be bored.” She took his hand and walked with him through her tropical paradise.
“You need some tropical birds, maybe a monkey,” he suggested, admiring the shade grown coffee. She’d promised him a new batch of beans for the kitchen next week, and they’d had bananas with breakfast.
“Don’t give Daisy ideas! I heard her talking about toucans with an intern. I think chickens and honeybees would be more practical, and I wouldn’t need a biologist to come do environmental impact studies.”
“Isn’t Daisy a biologist?” he asked, joining her on the lift.
“She’s going to be a botanist, meaning she studies plant biology, and she’s taking business classes, which makes her a great greenhouse manager, but she keeps getting distracted with animals. She likes the idea of recreating a rainforest here, but beyond importing cocoa pollinators, which is a huge deal itself and probably not worth it when we can hand pollinate, I don’t need to deal with a petting zoo. Chickens and bees are cheap, practical and easy to care for. For that matter, chickens originated in India, so they’re a “tropical” bird. Some of them are very pretty, too,” she said as she stepped off the lift.
“And we could find an intern to care for them,” Daisy said, looking up from her clipboard as they stepped off the lift, hearing the last of their conversation. “Come to check out the first batch of roasted cocoa beans?” Two interns were using a couple of hand-cranked grain mills to grind the fermented, roasted, husked beans. The coarse mill made shiny paste, while the finer mill was thick liquid.
“It smells awesome in here,” Kjetil said, sniffing appreciatively. He studied the shiny liqueur. “I thought it would look like cocoa powder?”
“It hasn’t been defatted, and I don’t think we’ll bother at this
stage.” Juniper said thoughtfully. She handed him a spoon and tried a bit of the liquid, which tasted of unsweetened dark chocolate, bitter and granular. “We’ll sell the liquor and nibs for baking and someone else can make refined chocolate bars if they want. There are a lot of steps to making chocolate candy and we’re not set up for it.”
“Yet,” Daisy said firmly. “I’m working on funding. I’ve been talking to candy makers online and the culinary arts department at the college expressed interest in the project. I’ve even got a friend working on a logo and marketing ideas.”
Juniper held up her hands. “Whoa! It’s great to think ahead, but get this part of the operation running first. I have chefs who’re interested in buying nibs and the health food store wants some, but I’ve got my hands full with Bramble Burn. Even magically fueled cocoa trees can only produce so many beans.”
“I remember. I’ve got this,” Daisy assured her. “Let us food geeks play in this wonderful lab while you concentrate on nailing down the park.” She hugged her clipboard. “By the way, the ward is really nice. Everyone says they feel safer when they visit, and it’s easier to get the professors out here.”
Juniper wiggled her brows at Kjetil. “Thank goodness for busybody werewolves.”
He smirked and kissed her. “So glad you found a use for me, baby.”
“I guess you’d better take care of yourself, then. Don’t let any dragons do you in.” There was a bite to her teasing; the situation with Chaldaic had her worried. Troubled, she wandered across the big room to a station that had been set up with sample chocolate bar packaging, Kjetil at her side. She picked up a recycled paper label with two shades of brown ink and frowned. “I think I bit off more than I can chew,” she admitted.
“With Bramble Burn?” he asked in surprise.
She dropped the label on the table with a sigh. “With the chocolate. I thought it would be fun to grow it, to show it could be done. I didn’t realize…” She waved a hand to encompass the chocolate operation.
He leaned a hip on the table and looked at her shrewdly. “You saw a challenge, you nailed it, and now you’re ready to pay for the expensive store chocolate and move on.”
She snorted. “Yes. But now I have people excited about, and I don’t want to disappoint them.”
“Close it down, then. It’s your place, and you need to focus on growing trees.”
She shifted restlessly. “I want the trees appreciated. They’re meant to be used.”
“Then delegate. Tell Daisy you want to play once in a while, that you want updates, but you don’t have time to supervise. I don’t think she’ll mind; she seems to love it here.”
“You think?” she asked hopefully. The chocolate was fun, but she needed to focus on growing trees. “You don’t think I’m a quitter because I’m not following this to the bitter end?”
“I think you’re smart, you think big, and you’ve got the operation going in the right direction. Eventually you’ll need to hire a property manager. Delegation is good business, and I’m happy to give you pointers. In fact, you may get tired of my advice.”
“Oh, good! We’ll have something to fight about,” she said cheerfully as she snuggled into his chest. It felt so good in his arms, and she sighed with pleasure. “I feel so much better.”
“Good to know you think growing giant trees and fighting monsters is better than being a “boring” businesswoman. Just what every husband dreams of,” he said dryly.
She playfully nipped him, earning a tickle. “You knew what you signed up for. Remember all the times my tree caught fire? That was a clue.”
“Thanks for reminding me. All this can be mine, if only some giant stink bear eats you.” He grimaced, glancing out the window. “Somehow, I’m sure I won’t make the most of it. It’d go back to the city and become a ruin.”
She bolted up. “Over my dead body! Do you know how hard I’ve worked on this? If something happens to me, you better call my grandpa and let him know I want this finished. You had better do everything you can to complete this park, buddy.” The idea of the Bramble becoming a waste horrified her. After all her sweat and blood, this place would be completed. There was so much left to do, and few who were capable of it.
He raised a brow. “How about I guard you like the president instead, and you finish it? You’ve just given a paranoid wolf even more reason to protect you.”
She deflated. He really didn’t want her dead, but joking about it clearly wasn’t a good idea. She couldn’t think about her mortality and do her job. “I wish I could return the favor,” she muttered.
“Is this about Chaldaic?”
Unhappy, she looked out the window. “Can you blame me? He’s dangerous.”
He rubbed her back. “I’m not helpless, love, but thank you for caring.”
She looked at him, he heart in her eyes. “I love you. I want you to live.”
“I plan to.” He kissed her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Let’s do something fun. Want to see a movie? There’s a new action flick out.”
“That ‘shoot ‘em up’ one? Why not? Maybe you can take notes.”
He poked her ribs, forcing a laugh out of her. “That’s my girl.”
Kjetil drove the quiet road on the outskirts of the city, his windows down as he enjoyed the warm breeze. His eyes were on the rural landscape, his mind on his wife. She was amazing, a creative genius and a hard worker, but she needed to learn to trust people. She thought she had to do everything herself, when what she excelled in was finding opportunity and giving people a chance to make the most of it. She needed help; her dreams were too big for one person, but she had to relax and let people in.
It was going to be fun helping her to relax. He smiled as he thought of the future, knowing he’d never be bored. Today she was growing a bubblegum tree, the bright colored gumballs encased in clear shells to keep bugs off. Other shells would contain bright colored, wooden rings, clay and edible glitter, and the leaves would be shaped like letters of the alphabet. It was gaudy and childish and fun, and she’d taken his dare and run with it. He could picture her smile as she played, shaping a party tree that would be appreciated by children and teens.
Anything that made her think of children was good. He wanted to subtly plant ideas in her head. The idea of their kids running around (a safe, improved) Bramble Burn made him smile.
“Incoming,” a voice said urgently in his ear. “Dragon behind you, high and diving fast.”
“Roger that,” Kjetil said, maintaining speed. “Say when.” His foot hovered, trusting his lookout with his life. His team was in place, had prepped for this moment. None of them trusted Chaldaic to wait for the official challenge date. In fact, they’d counted on it.
“Now!” the voice shouted, and Kjetil braked as a copper dragon overshot his position, blasting flame. He spun the car as the dragon wheeled around and floored it in the opposite direction, one eye on the road, the other on the dragon the size of a Boeing 747 with death in his eyes.
“Now!” the spotter said, and Kjetil braked, but the dragon wasn’t stupid. This time he grabbed the car and lifted it from the road, rising high and fast.
He’d hoped for this, trained for it. In a blink he was fur and fangs, and he darted out the window and scaled Chaldaic’s leg. A press of a button blew the car, delivering a mighty sting to Chaldaic’s feet.
He bellowed in outrage and banked, spinning in mid-air to dislodge the werewolf on his back, but Kjetil had his wing in an iron grip. In seconds they were upright, and he thrust his long black knife into the vulnerable wing joint, carving through tendons.
Chaldaic screamed and whipped his flexible neck, trying to bite, but they were too close to the ground. The impact threw him off, but the canny warrior tucked his wings and rolled, attempting to crush Kjetil.
Kjetil stabbed a spiked grenade into the joint and leapt free, the landing awkward on the rocky ground. Ankle protesting, he rolled away and flowed to his feet, favoring his left side.
<
br /> The grenade exploded and Chaldaic screamed, deafening in his pain. His wing flew off in a gush of blood, the charges designed to penetrate under scales, causing maximum damage.
Kjetil flashed his fangs in approval.
Furious, the dragon flamed him, his head whipping like a fire hose, following Kjetil’s retreat. Kjetil threw an arm out to protect his face and held his breath while he sprinted. The special fire-retardant clothes took the brunt, but despite the protective hood, the back of his head and neck seared and bubbled in the intense heat. Mute in his wolf form, he snarled silently and flung a grenade at the dragon’s head.
Chaldaic flamed it out of the sky, detonating it before it could harm him, but he wasn’t quick enough to dodge the second one. It exploded on his face. This time, when he drew breath to flame, he coughed. Shaking his head, keeping Kjetil in sight, he wheezed.
Kjetil feinted closer and jumped back as Chaldaic’s tail whipped, attempting to crush him. The dragon’s injuries were enough to ground him, but he was still deadly.
“Give up, wolf! I’m bigger and stronger than you. I’ll roast you alive!”
He was right. Their speed was matched, and Chaldaic outweighed him. Normally, that would be cause for concern. Except…
Jordan Grimm popped from a cluster of lichen crusted boulders with an RPG. He fired as other werewolves sprang from the long grass and pelted the dragon with gas grenades.
Chaldaic coughed, the sound wet and hacking, and convulsed. His body twitched for long minutes, tearing up the ground, breaking rocks, but it was over. He was dead.
Kjetil resumed human form, wincing as the cooked patch on his neck screamed. He fished out his cell phone and dialed. “Kjetil here. I have a dragon carcass outside of town for you to pick up.” He gave the coordinates.
“Oh?” Breaker asked with interest. “Did Chaldaic visit? He must have thought you’d be an easy target without your wife to protect you.”
