by Haven Handel
“All over one kiss.” My wife’s forlorn voice was tiny.
“I don’t think the significance of the breach was the catalyst,” I said, softly, reaching out to stroke her hair. “I think it was more to do with the magnitude of the vow.”
Her worried eyes turned to meet mine. Guilt furrowed her brow.
“This is all because of me,” she said, throwing her lovely face into her hands in despair.
My hand continued to caress her in an attempt to comfort. “No, baby, it’s not. If you had married a human…” The word choked me as my own sense of responsibility lay on my shoulders.
Cassandra sat up quickly, her eyes whipping up to meet my gaze.
“Don’t you ever let me hear you say that, Deo Ambrosia. You are more human and a better man than most of the male population, powers or not. Wolf or not. I would choose you again, and again.” She spoke with passion, her words adamant.
“But would you choose this life for yourself?” I asked quietly, tucking a dark tendril of hair behind her ear.
Momentarily lost in thought, Cassandra’s gaze traveled to the fire burning in our hearth. “Deo, it’s strange,” she mused. “Most say I was born for the courtroom. But the past few weeks, I’ve never felt more like myself.” A light came into her eyes as she turned to me and said, “During the battle, when my blade hit the demon, I could feel that feeling you talked about—you know when my mind synched with my body?”
“When your body and mind become one,” I answered.
It was how my wife felt when she quieted her mind, allowing her instincts to control her moves. I felt the same when I transformed into my spirit animal. Later, Draco had given me a full account of Cassandra’s every move during the battle, assuring me he had properly protected her. Draco told me the purple haze had surrounded her for almost the entire duration of our fight. I had no doubt my wife had experienced a prolonged stay in this state.
“It was euphoric. You know me, my mind never stops whirring.” Cassandra fell silent for a moment, twisting the ring on her finger. Slowly she looked up at me, her eyes meeting mine. Her hand reached up, softly stroking my cheek. “I think I was made for this life,” she whispered. Her hand returned to her lap, my cheek feeling cold in its absence. But the words she spoke next warmed my entire being.
“I was made for you.”
Tears burned in my eyes, my throat tightening. “And I, you, dear one,” I managed to respond.
“It’s the most important vow you can make, isn’t it?” she mused. “Promising your life to one another?”
“Yes,” I said, kissing her cheek. “Shall we renew our vows?” My eyes roved over our grand home. “Right here? Amongst all of our friends and family?”
Tears filled Cassandra’s eyes. “I would like that, very much.”
“Then it shall be done. It will be the grandest celebration we have thrown. And a new beginning.”
“A new beginning.” Her eyes turned to mine, her gaze hungry for my affections.
I brought my lips to hers. Kissing my wife, I murmured, over her contented sighs, “On that night, you shall be tied to the bed and spanked, my wife. We want to start out on the right foot.” She swooned as I trailed a line of biting kisses down the curve of her neck. “After all,” I murmured, “I never make the same mistake twice.”
Later, as I held my sleeping wife in my arms, I stared up at the blue moon hanging bright and low in the inky sky. White stars dotted the vastness surrounding it. The second full moon of the month, it was fitting it be the Blue Moon for our return home from a seemingly impossible adventure.
The same moon my ancestors had slept beneath, plotting, planning their survival, holding their dear ones to their heart, as I did now.
There was still so much to teach my Cassandra. So much more for my pack and I to learn of the ancient ways of the Ambrosias. I loathed the idea of my wife being in danger, but having Cassandra by my side, her mind, her spirit, I knew now I could be the leader I was born to be.
Together, we would be victorious. My mind was not focused on defeating the dark as they come to attack. My mind was focused on the breaking of the curse. I swore, with my lifeblood, I would be amongst the final generation of Ambrosias to face this darkness.
THE END
Enjoy this sneak peek of Princess of the Dragon – Book Two in the Shifting the Tale Series
Princess of the Dragon
Deo growled, pointing up the grand, curving marble staircase that led up to our bedroom. “Now.”
I began to protest, knowing full well I was testing his limits. As a lawyer, I can’t help but to at least try a rebuttal. “But, Deo…”
A fierce gaze crossed my husband’s face. One dark brow arched up towards his perfectly combed, sleek dark hair, the set of his chiseled jaw made my mouth instantly snap shut.
Shooting him one pleading look, I quickly made my way to the stairs, giving him a wide berth as I did. Trying to retain at least a pinch of control over my own life, I began to tromp up those stairs, stomping my high heeled boot on each step, one at a time. Stomp, stomp, stomp.
“Cassandra!” Deo roared.
Flipping my long dark hair over my shoulder, I turned to my husband, shooting him a haughty look. “Yes, my darling?” I answered coyly.
He stood at the bottom of the stairs, legs spread wide in his charcoal suit pants. His perfectly polished black leather shoes were planted firmly on the marble floor, arms crossed over his crisp white button-down, accentuating his bulging biceps.
“You want to be spanked on the stairs and in the bedroom, little girl?”
“No, sir,” I muttered, looking down at the toes of my boots. I swallowed hard. How far was I going to push this husband of mine when I already knew I was in a heap of trouble?
Crossing his arms tighter over his chest, his eyes flashed angrily at me. “Then get yourself up those stairs, and do not let me hear another stomp from your feet.”
Giving a little sigh, I turned back. Gliding my hand over the wrought metal railing, I slowly made my way up the stairs. I could feel his eyes on me as I ascended.
When I reached the top of the stairs, I took a step onto the long, open, catwalk hallway. Pausing for a moment, I rested my hands on the black banister, overlooking our impressive foyer.
My husband, still seething, looked up at me. As my eyes met his, I felt a flutter. Ten years we have been together. There had been peaks and valleys in our relationship, but over the past few weeks, something had changed.
Deo, always a stoic man, demanded respect just by entering a room. Recently, he had ‘taken me in hand’, as his uncle and mentor Artem liked to call it. Instead of standing by as I picked fights, longing to draw his attention, Deo had put a very firm handed stop to my nonsense.
Powerful, handsome, dashing, and now completely dominant in our marriage, I had everything I ever needed and wanted, and more than any woman deserved. I still couldn’t help but to delay the punishment I knew I had coming, and one that was well earned.
Standing on my balcony, a full story above him, I called, “Romeo, oh Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?”
To my delight, the tiniest hit of amusement glinted in his eyes, the left corner of his mouth turning up the slightest amount.
My heart swelled as he appeased me, his deep baritone spoke with a beautiful cadence, as he quoted the Shakespearian lines he knew to be my favorite:
My bounty is as boundless as the sea,
My love as deep; the more I give to thee,
The more I have, for both are infinite.
He spoke softly, his eyes shining into mine.
I opened my mouth to reply with Juliet’s next line, delighting in our game and eager to procrastinate my spanking.
Seeing my lips begin to move, Deo snapped, “Cassandra as charming as you are, if you are not in our bedroom by the time I count to three, I swear I will bend you right over your balcony and whip your behind with my belt. One—”
“Okay, okay! I’m go
ing, I’m going.” I hurried along the hall as quickly as I could while still maintaining some shred of dignity. Deo knew I was terrified of his belt, even if he only ever gave me a few licks with it. Something about the sound, hearing the swoosh as the leather left the loops of his trousers, the waiting, perched over the bed, for the first sting to hit my bare skin—the thought alone made a shudder run through me.
Entering our bedroom, I closed the door with a quiet click of the latch. Alone, I allowed myself to heave a great sigh. Plopping down on the four-poster, red velvet featherbed, I unzipped my boots, pulling them off and tossing them across the room, one by one.
Groaning, I put my head in my hands, my hair falling over my face on both sides like a dark curtain. What had gotten into me, today? Why couldn’t I just obey my husband’s wishes?
It was Draco Ambrosia who had elicited the rebellious actions from me. When my guardian first came to me, I found him dashing, alluring. I still remember the feel of him leaning over my body, buckling my seatbelt in the car the first day I’d met him. I had refused to fasten it, and he had quickly exited the Escalade, opened my door, and done it himself. The muscle in his jaw had twitched as he said, “Obey, Cassandra. Deo would not be pleased to hear how lightly you take your own safety.” That was the beginning of my dragon-like guardian’s watchful eye over me.
Then as we spent more time together, he became my friend, my trusted ally. But that was when we were living a fairy tale, perched up in Ravensloft, our very own castle.
As I sat on the bed, head in my hands, I thought over the events of the day that had led to this—me sitting, dreading my big husband’s footsteps heading towards me, to punish me. My husband demanded strict unquestioning obedience. He believed that my life depended on it. And it probably did.
“Ugh, when will I learn?” I moaned to myself.
This morning had been the first day back at my regular old pre-demon, butt-kicking princess life. Prior to learning that a dark curse had been placed on the Ambrosia family, and that I have a knack for throwing daggers at evil spirits, I had loved my job as one of New Jersey’s top female lawyers.
In the courtroom, I was a powerhouse, making larger supposedly smarter men look like kindergarteners playing at a take your son to work day. I loved my office, loved my colleagues, and respected the partners.
After our paranormal adventure in Ravensloft Castle atop a mountain in New York, returning to work seemed a little mundane, but I was eager to get back into my office. As I walked into the tall brick building that had been my second home, I noticed the building was quiet, lacking its usual bustle.
Walking past the doorman, I was surprised to see that the young, fit bodybuilder had been replaced with an older man, looking to be of Greek ancestry. That should have been my first clue.
Stepping off the elevator onto our floor, my jaw had dropped. On the glass doors of our office, the frosty white names of the partners ‘Parker, Anderson, and Roe’ had been removed. Instead, I found the words, ‘Ambrosia, Ambrosia, and Ambrosia’.
Infuriated, I had made my way into the office, grateful to see that my secretary, Debbi was still employed. In her bubbly way, she had informed me that my husband had bought the building, booted, everyone out, and created his own business with three partners: himself, Draco and me. She also said that the only people in our employ besides family members were Debbi, and my friends Cynthia and Andrew.
Maintaining my composure, I smiled demurely at Debbi as if everything she had just said was old news to me—and headed for the phone in my office to call my husband. I walked through the empty hallway, holding my head high.
Reaching my office, I was relieved to see it had not changed. My desk still sat, the bank of windows overlooking the city behind it, my shelves lining the far wall. The only thing that was amiss was the striking man who was sitting in my office chair—Draco Ambrosia.
I hadn’t seen Draco since leaving the castle in New York and returning with Deo to our estate in New Jersey. Still looking like a Greek god delivered to Earth, he sat back, confident but humble, his long muscular frame filling out the entirety of my black leather chair. His thick brown hair was still a medium length, with the same wave and body to it. His tanned skin was clean shaven, showing off his strong jaw and full lips. There was no smile there for me, as Draco’s chestnut eyes read the anger on my face.
“What the hell, Draco?” I demanded, slamming the office door shut, behind me.
Draco rested his elbows on the desk, bringing his hands together in front of his face, each of his fingertips touching its mate.
“Lower your voice, Cassandra.”
At the sound of his velvety and familiar voice, I calmed. Throwing my bag down in one of the empty chairs in front of the desk, I untied the sash of my knee length tan coat and plopped down in the other vacant chair.
“Draco,” I said, lowering my voice to a level that I hoped could be taken for sarcasm. “If you would be so good as to kindly explain to me why the words, Ambrosia, Ambrosia, and Ambrosia have replaced the names of the partners of the law firm that I have worked for, for over a decade, I would be forever grateful.” I crossed my arms over my chest, glaring at the large man sitting across from me.
The corners of his mouth turned up a bit as he relaxed, sitting back in his chair.
“That’s better, Cassandra.”
I rolled my eyes in response.
“Deo bought the building, sent the law firm on their way, generously bought out the leases of the other businesses, and opened our own private firm.”
“Sent my partners packing? How dare he, I’ve worked with them—”
Draco held up his hand to stop me. “They were not what you thought, Cassandra,” he said softly. “They were attracted to the dark.”
Silent for a moment, I thought over Draco’s words. My husband and his family were able to see the darkness in the world and those prone to attract it. It was one of the parts of the mysterious powers they all had. Don’t ask me why I wasn’t graced with any cool tricks when I’d become an Ambrosia.
“Why didn’t Deo tell me, before I came here this morning?”
“There was a recent turn of events. He thought it best you come directly to work.”
My mind whirred quickly, as always. “Deo wanted everyone out of here, to protect me.”
Draco’s eyes told me my guess was right.
“But it was just a means to an end, wasn’t it? I’m sure my husband wasn’t unhappy with the newest situation of me only working with three males—all of whom he has on a tight leash, was he?”
“Not a means to an end. His only goal is to protect you. You were not safe here with the others.”
“Deo always gets his way,” I murmured, thinking surely there was a way to keep me safe, and let me have my work life continue as normal.
“He does, Cassandra, and always for good reason. Deo has only your best interest and safety in mind.”
My heart softened towards my overprotective husband. He was just trying to keep me alive, after all. “This was the only way it was safe for me to leave the house, wasn’t it?” I mused.
“Your mind works quickly, princess.”
I sighed. “At least he let me keep Cy, Andrew and Debbi, I guess.”
“Deo is generous.”
“It makes sense to keep them. Debbi is harmless. Andrew and Cy already know about the curse, the fact that you all become wolves and all your other little secrets. Not to mention both risked their lives to fight beside us.” My mind flashed to the battle: Andrew using taekwondo moves he had grown up perfecting, a boyish grin on her face. My best friend, Cy, stabbing a demon in the eye with a crystal, then combating another hand to hand before defeating him with the help of my wolf husband.
“That they did.”
“Draco, do you ever give more than three-word answers?” I huffed. I was beginning to get annoyed by the male dominance in my life, in my office, and Draco looking a little too comfortable in my chair.
> A calm smile crossed his handsome face. “You haven’t yet asked my role at Ambrosia, Ambrosia, and Ambrosia.” Amusedly, he raised a brow to me. “Care to guess?”
Overwhelmed by the sudden changes in my employment, I hadn’t given a thought to Draco’s presence. He’d been at my side every minute at the castle, and if he wasn’t, he was close enough that I could practically hear the man breathing. Having him back in my life, though the circumstances were irritating, seemed natural. Musing over my husband and his recent choices, the answer clicked in my brain.
Draco must have seen the understanding in my eyes, and my cheeks flush in anger. It made him give one of his rare, low, chuckles.
I was further infuriated by the sound.
“You’re my—babysitter?” I spat.
“We are to share an office. Roommates, if you will. Shall you take the desk, or I?” Draco’s warm eyes sparkled with amusement.
Flying to my feet, I roared, “Unbelievable, Draco! I do not need…”
The door opened. I held my tongue and looked to see who dared to enter our office.
My best and only female friend in the world stood in the doorframe, looking almost as angry as me. Her russet skin glowed, her tight curls springing from her head. Teetering on five-inch heels and throwing a hand on her zebra printed hip, her hot pink lips demanded, “Where the heck did my office go?”
Giving her an approving nod, I crossed my arms over my chest, turning to Draco’s entertained face. “Yes, Draco, where is her office?” I asked, hotly.
Slowly, Draco stood from the chair, unfolding himself from behind the desk to his full height. As the chair rolled backwards behind him, I took in his frame that was lean but built of solid muscle. I gulped. Was he taller than I remembered? Suddenly, I thought my cheek might not be such a good idea. He was my guardian, after all.
Gesturing towards the door, Draco said, “I think we need to visit Balthazar. Ladies?”
Leading us down the hall and into the elevator, Draco was never further than a few centimeters from me. As the doors drew closed, Draco pushed a button marked, ‘basement’.
