An image of Kaden snarling at the pup, threatening with those deadly fangs, flashed in her mind and she mentally agreed that he could indeed be frightening. At this moment though, with his head lowered, as he fought to keep his eyes open while he enjoyed Olivia’s touch and with his words spoken just above a whisper, he seemed quite the opposite of his description.
Olivia had to chuckle at that. “Indeed you are my dear, scary dragon.” She leaned in to nuzzle at his rough-scaled cheek. He would always be cuddly to her.
The pup yipped, disrupting their tender moment. They turned and looked at him. He had been watching the exchange quietly and rather studiously for such a young pup. There was much intelligence hiding behind those pale blue eyes. He yipped again, and looked towards the previous day’s fish.
“I think this little boy is trying to tell us something, are you not?” Olivia cooed as she moved away from Kaden and took slow steps towards the pup.
Kaden instantly missed the contact and narrowed his eyes at the little wolf, blaming it for distracting Olivia from their intimate moment.
When the pup made brief eye contact with him, he bared his teeth at Kaden. The action caused Olivia to pause in her step and Kaden to snarl slightly again. The pup understood the warning and looked back at Olivia, laying his head on his paws.
Taking it as a good sign, Olivia continued approaching the pup with measured steps. She outstretched her hand in an unthreatening manner, offering it to the cute little pup for sniffing.
Kaden stood guard behind her.
The pup craned his neck forward and sniffed her hand with reluctance and caution. After he was satisfied that she was not a threat, he licked at her fingers as a gesture of truce.
“Oh, such a sweet puppy. Are you hungry?” Olivia queried in a gentle voice as she kneeled down and slowly brought her hand up so she could pet him. She didn’t, though, notice the victorious glance the pup threw at Kaden, making the dragon narrow his eyes at the clever bundle of fur. He would have to keep a close eye on the little wolf.
Kaden snorted. “You do realize he is not a puppy.” Jealousy laced his words.
Olivia only gave him a look that said, “Do I look that stupid?”
Kaden just turned his head away, snout tilted up. “I’ll… I’ll just go get some food for myself and the little… thing, and you too. We should be safe for the remainder of the night.” He spat out another burning blob. “Use that for tonight’s fire. If you need anything, check the back cave.” His cave was becoming cramped as he carefully turned around.
Olivia noticed the change in his mood and she didn’t like it one bit. He was grumpy, and he seemed jealous that she was paying attention to the pup and not to him. She preferred her dragon happy and knew exactly what to do.
“Oh, and Kaden?” Olivia called out to him before he disappeared from her sight.
“Yes, Liv?” He stopped and turned his head so he could see her. His voice was soft and tinged with sadness.
“I will always love you the best, Kaden,” she said with a bright smile on her face, the light of the fire dancing merrily in her eyes.
Kaden’s eyes lit up with immense joy and he even managed to stretch a real grin across his features. Smiling was hard for him; his mouth not built for it. He took a moment to drink in the sight of her, beaming at him, love shining through her bright blue eyes. Kaden bowed his head in respect and gratitude, turned around and left the cave on a much happier note. The butterflies in his belly almost made him fly without the need of his wings. But he did fly, in spirit.
That, in there, was the best moment of his entire life, now and the one from before.
While Kaden was out, he noticed that the craving to take from others had somewhat lessened. The desire to steal came to him since he had been… born as a dragon. Always hard to control or fight off. He wondered why the change now, was it also a part of the curse? Maybe all of it would go away. Maybe it was because of Olivia.
Olivia’s heart warmed at the happy glint in Kaden’s eyes after her proclamation and she turned her attention back to the pup. She scratched him behind his ear gently and said, “You will learn to love him, too.”
A few moments later, she rose to her feet, slowly as to not frighten the pup. “Come on, little boy, let us go see what we need from the back cave while we wait for Kaden. You will eat better than that old fish when he returns. We will have to throw it out.” She took a couple of steps towards the back cave but the pup didn’t follow.
Olivia turned around, crouched down and beckoned the little wolf. “You are safe now. I will not harm you. Come with me,” she coaxed in a soft and gentle voice.
The pup studied her, tilting his cute little head to the side. He then looked to where Kaden had stood and then back at her.
“I promise he will not hurt you. You can come with me. I would prefer the company anyway.” She continued to talk to the pup as if he were a person, hoping the sincerity and benevolence in her voice would cajole him to follow her.
She smiled when she saw the little wolf make his decision.
The pup rose to its paws and reluctantly made his way over to Olivia, keeping his tail tucked submissively between his legs. He sensed she was important to the big predator. She was the alpha female of this little pack.
“Good boy,” Olivia praised him and was rewarded with a small, happy tail wag.
A little while later, Olivia gathered what she thought might be useful and went back, the pup following at her heels. She disposed of the old fish and cleaned as best as she could the spot where the pup had soiled the ground. The stench of it mixing with the stale air was offending her senses. The dry branches of the uprooted tree from the back cave, she put into the fire, and added a short piece of board she had plied off the wagon. Someday, she would make Kaden tell her all the stories about all the things he had taken. Like that chimney… she was most curious about the chimney. And the weird-looking, closed-off wagon with its vials, broken and whole, and drawers and all sorts of equipment strewn about.
Not long after, Kaden returned. He brought some fresh trout for Olivia and a rabbit for the pup. When Olivia started cleaning her fish, Kaden positioned himself between the little wolf and her, so he could protect her from the sight of the hungry pup tearing at the dead rabbit without mercy. The little wolf had retreated with his meal as far away from them as possible, predatory and survival instincts kicking in.
With their stomachs filled, they settled down for sleep. Day once more reigned the sky, and with its victory, the golden globe brought a bit of natural light to the cave. As Olivia ate her meal, the pup spent the time licking the blood off his snout, cleaning himself while Kaden kept an ever vigilant eye on him. The pup had had plenty of opportunity to leave, but he didn’t. Obviously, he was not a stupid one. He had a food supply and the safety of a bigger predator, as long as he didn’t threaten the alpha female of his new pack.
Olivia and Kaden snuggled up as they did every night. She was on the mattress with Kaden curled around her. This time though, the pup crawled over on his belly, ready to bolt if shooed away. When no one stopped him, he settled at the foot of Olivia’s makeshift bed.
“He is so cute, is he not?” Olivia cooed when she noticed the pup curled at her feet.
Kaden sighed, a martyr indeed. “Yes, he is soooo cute,” he said, dripping sarcasm, his voice holding no feelings whatsoever.
Olivia jabbed him with her finger. “Be nice, Kaden,” she scolded in a whisper.
“Ouch, woman, who knew you had such a violent streak in you?” Kaden exclaimed with dramatic effect, pretending to wince even though he barely felt the jab.
Olivia giggled and kissed the spot where she had poked him, snuggling up closer to her dragon, tracing his scales with her fingertips. This time, he let out a sigh of contentment.
“I feel like I have been here much longer than I have. As if I have lived here with you for seasons, not just a few days. Much has happened, and it is so easy with you,” Olivia’s voic
e penetrated the silence, followed by a yawn.
“I know. I share the sentiment.” Kaden brought his head around and settled it under his wing, against Olivia’s back.
“Do you think they will come back looking for us?”
“I hope not.” His voice was muffled against her back and under the wing. The rumble of it caressed her body delightfully.
“If they do?”
“I will protect you,” Kaden said, serious and determined. “We will leave. If we can avoid a conflict, I would rather do so. Too many things could go wrong and I do not want you caught in the middle of it. We will just find a new home.”
“We would have to make a stop along the way.” Olivia kept her hands busy by continuing to run them gently over Kaden’s smooth, draconic scales. “I would have to let my parents know I am alive and unharmed. They deserve that. They really are the best parents one could ask for… But I will not stay, no matter how much I love them. I cannot stay there now that I have found you. And I want to explore the world. Experience more adventure! There is so much out there that I still need to discover. Also, I do not care if you are a dragon. No human man could ever replace you.” Olivia was a bit surprised by her own thoughts and proclamations, but she knew she loved her dragon and that was enough for her. Her words were true.
If you only knew. A wave of nostalgia washed over Kaden. Ah, the joys of young infatuation, but who was he to judge, he was obviously the same… and selfish for agreeing with her. Selfishness did him no good so far in life, maybe he could dissuade her after all. But if she insisted… well…
“It would mean giving up a lot, you know that,” the dragon said in a quiet voice. “And the things you would have to leave behind. Being with me would mean just this... Sleeping in caves, or on the forest ground. Being chased, never settling for too long in one place…You couldn’t start a family with me.” The last part he said with so much sadness and longing in his voice, it broke Olivia’s heart.
“I know… But we have our puppy now,” Olivia teased, and she smiled against his scales because she knew that mentioning the pup would annoy him. She continued before he huffed or sighed again. “I do not care in any case. We would manage. We can work things out, can we not? Would you mind? Me coming with you?” Olivia pressed her face flush against his soft, silky scales. She closed her eyes tightly, waiting for her dragon’s response.
“Never!” Kaden responded without hesitation. He felt Olivia stiffen and he amended his answer immediately. “I mean… I would never mind it. I have been alone for years. And then you came along, and you stayed, un-afraid, and you want to follow me of your own free will. You want to be with me in any way possible… It still amazes me. You amaze me. How could I say no to that?” He let his words sink in and felt her relax against his side again. The sensation of her nuzzling her face against his scales was heaven to him. “As you said, we will work it out either way. We will just be extra vigilant for the next few days.”
“Yeah…” Olivia mumbled, sleep taking over.
“Sleep now, my love. You have had a long day.”
Olivia didn’t respond, and within a minute, her breathing evened out. She was fast asleep.
Chapter 18
The sun no longer teased the horizon with its pink blush when Magnus and his men packed up. They had managed about six hours of sleep, enough to pull them through another exhausting day, such as the one ahead of them.
The trek back up the mountain took longer than the journey down, the slopes demanding, leading up, and both people and animals struggled forward. The sun, now shy again, courted the treetops, its rays fighting through the boughs as the fiery globe gave way to the rising moon, and they reached the stream. The scorched grass was the only evidence of their encounter with the dragon.
“Go back. We will camp further in the forest. Theo and Damien, you two scout ahead for any signs of the dragon or the woman’s tracks,” Magnus said as he stared at the water smoothing over the rocks. Only the day before, this was where he had cooled his burns. Theo and Damien shuffled away and Magnus turned to face the rest of his people. “The rest of you, set up a camp; raise the tents as well. We only have a bit of daylight left.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” chorused the men.
An eerie silence descended upon them. During their trek, as Magnus’ anger and impatience had grown, it seemed the forest only became quieter, afraid to make a sound lest it enrage him further.
While the tents were being set up, Magnus stood in the full glory of his armor, staring toward the path his trackers had taken. The fire had become a part of him, blending with the fury coursing through his being, consuming him. Hands fisted at his sides, his muscles contracted. He had promised himself he would have the dragon’s head by now. He didn’t like breaking his promises to himself. He had to have it! He had to prove himself. Had to fulfill his promise, and burning desire, to have the monster dead. His people’s loyalty would be faultless then, because once he killed the dragon, his might would be immense, and everyone would bow down to him… Even my father.
A soft breeze reached him. The air fresh as the scent of spring tickled his nostrils, the peaceful quiet subduing his anger. No animals could be heard, only the sound of the stream murmuring across the smooth rocks, the breeze ruffling the branches, and his men making a ruckus in the camp. He frowned.
Magnus turned to his men. “Could you make any more noise, you bloody idiots?” he snapped. His hand twitched, palm itching. He just wanted to stick his sword into something, preferably meaty. He needed to see blood adorning the sharp blade, and he almost didn’t mind whose or why. Red looked so good dripping down the silvery metal of his trusty sword.
The prince unsheathed his weapon and held it tightly in his hands, knuckles turning white. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at him in apprehension.
He brought his sword up, tip pointing to the sky as he pressed his forehead against the blunt side of the blade. He cooed to it in a whisper, “You won’t ever let me down.” He kissed the blade and let the tip turn downwards so it would stick into the ground. Bringing his eyes up, he saw his men staring at him.
“What are you staring at? Did I tell you to stop? NO! I told you to keep it quiet,” he snarled, not bothering to hide his impatience. The prince’s men hurried to finish setting up without uttering any words amongst each other, keeping the noise down.
Magnus needed to vent, to stop the fury from clouding his mind, or he was going to snap. He didn’t want to hurt his men if that happened. He might hate them all at the moment but he was also aware that he needed them. Except… his eyes scanned the faces until he found the emerald ones he was looking for, the one person who might help him blow off some steam. Charlie!
A shiver of fear snaked down Charlie’s spine. She remembered the last time Magnus had been furious, and it hadn’t ended well for her. She didn’t dare look up and draw his attention to her, although it was too late already. She felt his eyes boring into her. She tried to avoid him by keeping her gaze focused downward while she slyly maneuvered herself out his line of vision, passing between the horses. Maybe she would be able to hide. She knew she didn’t usually have that kind of fortune, but she always hoped.
“Charlie.” She heard him call out her name, voice cold, as his footsteps drew nearer. The men subtly moved out of the way.
Charlie pretended she didn’t hear him as she turned and made to walk away, an excuse that she was going to relieve herself ready at the tip of her tongue.
“Charlie, my little whore.” The fury seeped from Magnus’ voice unrestrained as he approached the redhead. No one dared to stop him.
The venom in his voice made her quiver with fear as she turned to face him, but she trained her eyes on the collar of his armor. “I was just about to—”
Magnus’ hand wrapped around her throat. Her eyes bulged and she held her breath.
“You listen to me, puppet. You do not walk away from me when I call for you.” He pulled her closer
by her throat, making Charlie gasp for air, as he spat the words and spittle at her. “You know the deal… Seems I will have to remind you about it tonight, teach you another lesson, eh my dear puppet?”
The word ‘puppet’ was a bearer of bad news for her, so she nodded her head, frantic with terror.
Magnus tightened his grip for a few moments, preventing Charlie from taking in much precious air. With a wide-eyed stare she begged him to stop as she wordlessly tried to pry his fingers from her throat. As the dread showing on Charlie’s face increased, so did Magnus’ smirk. Her eyes rolling back, he cast her aside.
Charlie stumbled and fell back onto the ground, bracing herself on her hands and knees. Pain exploded in her wrists and shot up her arms as she landed hard.
“That’s where you belong,” Magnus spat as Charlie grasped at her throat, trying to suck in much-needed air, coughing around the short breaths she managed to inhale. She looked around in panic, hoping Theo and Damien weren’t witnessing this, for they would surely do something stupid and rash. Not finding their faces, she closed her eyes in relief.
When she opened them again, she noticed the others. Most of the men ignored what was going on, turning a blind eye to it because it was easier for them to cope that way. Lance was looking at her with remorse and when their eyes met, he looked away, ashamed. Her gaze shifting to the right, she saw that Reed had his hands pressed against Cassiel’s chest, preventing him from interfering. The dark knight already had a tight grip on his sword’s handle. Charlie nodded at him that she was alright, as much as she could be, and his grasp relaxed, his knuckles no longer white.
She saw Cassiel’s eyes widen again. Charlie turned back around towards Magnus just in time to see him grab at her hair as he pulled her up, onto her feet. “I am not done with you. That was just a warning.” The prince shook Charlie by her red tresses. She cringed while her eyes watered in pain. Her heart pounded in her ears. “We are just about to get to the part where I exact the punishment.”
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