by Donna Grant
Bernadette couldn’t stop the smile. “All this time, I thought I did something irreversible, and I probably have. It would be nice to think that I might have done something good, too.”
“You have.”
She got lost in his amber eyes. There was no lie there, only truth. And she felt it all the way to her soul.
Along with the desires that fanned to life.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Try as he might to ignore the desire that grew the longer he was around Bernadette, it became impossible. Keltan couldn’t look away from her jade eyes. He wanted to run his fingers through her chin-length black hair and pull her against him to feel her body against his.
He couldn’t feel this.
He shouldn’t feel this.
But there was no stopping it. It’d happened without him even realizing it. Bernadette’s wit, her charm, her honesty all complemented her beauty until he was utterly mesmerized, completely enthralled.
Yet his attraction was doomed. The moment she decided to leave Dreagan, her memories would be wiped. He couldn’t do that to either of them. It wouldn’t be fair.
But she was so close, her eyes so captivating. He could get lost in their jade depths, exploring the simple beauty that was her soul. When he first heard of her, he’d thought the worst. Even when he sat in her lecture, he hadn’t given her the benefit of the doubt.
It wasn’t until she came to Dreagan and he spent time with her that he’d seen her. Really seen her. He didn’t even think she was aware of how open she was. And that was exactly why Bernadette had been chosen by Usaeil.
Bernadette was trusting and honest and open regarding the unknown. Some might call her a fool or naïve, but Keltan saw her as something precious. She had something pure that everyone else lost at some point during childhood. Somehow, she had kept hers.
And he didn’t want her to lose it. Not now. Not ever.
An embarrassed smile pulled at her lips as she briefly looked away. “Thank you.”
It took him a second to remember why she would thank him. Then he recalled that he’d told her she had done some good. “I only speak the truth.”
“Whatever the reason, I appreciate it.”
He smiled at her and found himself taking a step closer. She still had a hold of his hand, and he was glad she hadn’t let go. Never in all his long years had he believed that he would be showing a mortal around Dreagan. Yet, it seemed right that it was her.
Fate.
He laughed inwardly. It wasn’t that long ago that he’d told her that destiny had led her to him. Now, he was getting a dose of it himself because, without a doubt, he knew she was supposed to be there.
With him.
“When do I have to leave?” she asked suddenly.
Keltan shook his head. “You can stay as long as you like.”
She laughed. “I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
Bernadette bit her bottom lip. “As long as I stay, I can retain my memories?”
“Aye.”
“I know I’ll have to leave sometime, but I’m not ready yet.”
He grinned, happier than he could show. “Good. I’m not ready for you to leave.”
“Because you have more to teach me?”
“Because I like being with you.”
He hadn’t meant to be that honest. It came out, but once the words were loose, he was glad he had said them. He wanted her to know that while he hadn’t liked her lecture, he also didn’t blame her.
Her fingers tightened a fraction on his hand. “I like being with you, as well. It might sound stupid, but I feel as if I can be myself with you. With others, I’ve always tried to be who they wanted me to be.”
“You’re special just as you are. You doona need to prove anything to anyone.”
“You keep saying things like that, and I may never leave,” she said with a teasing grin.
But all Keltan could think about was her doing just that. It was like being hit with a bolt of lightning. He wasn’t prepared for such a revelation, and in fact, he didn’t like it. At all.
The one thing he didn’t want—ever—was a mate. Things were hard enough as it was without adding someone else to his life. He saw what Ulrik and the others who were mated went through. That wasn’t going to be him.
Even as he vowed that to himself, he couldn’t let go of Bernadette’s hand. Or look away from her sweet face.
Or stop thinking about tasting her tempting lips.
“It’s supposed to rain later. If you’re up for it, I can take you around Dreagan,” he offered.
There was a bit of hesitation in the tightening of her mouth. “I’d love to see it all, but my stomach still isn’t feeling well.”
“How about we return to the manor? I can take you to a room if you’d like. Or we can go back to the library.”
“The library for now,” she said.
He liked her smile. But he was concerned that she wasn’t feeling well. Yet she didn’t show any symptoms. It must not be too bad, but he’d keep an eye on her just the same.
They turned together to go back through the tunnel, past the cavern with the Silvers, to the conservatory—all while holding hands. He liked the feel of her palm against his. It was a connection he hadn’t had in ages, and it did something to him inside.
He tightened his fingers a fraction while noting that he and Bernadette had fallen in step with each other. He glanced at her, and a second later, she looked at him. They shared a smile. The moment was nothing momentous, but it touched Keltan deeply.
“I gather everyone is keeping their distance from me,” Bernadette said as they walked to the library.
Keltan glanced at her and shrugged. “No one really knew what to expect. We thought it better if you saw just me until we knew where you stood. I’ve already told Ryder that it’s fine for the others to come to the manor.”
“Wait,” she said as they stepped over the threshold into the library. “You’ve not left my side or spoken on a mobile. How did you tell Ryder anything?”
Keltan grinned and tapped his temple. “Dragons speak telepathically. That’s why we had to shift when the mortals arrived in order to communicate.”
“That’s pretty cool,” she replied with a grin.
The happy expression quickly vanished, replaced with a flash of pain as she put her hand on her stomach.
“Sit,” Keltan ordered. “Do you need anything?”
“I’ve got some ginger gum in my purse. That always helps to settle my stomach.”
He got her to the sofa and sat helplessly as she fished out the gum. He’d never heard of ginger gum, but he saw on the package that it helped with nausea and motion sickness. He hoped it did as stated because, otherwise, he didn’t know what to do.
Con, who was able to heal anyone, wasn’t at Dreagan. Eilish with her Druid magic, and Shara with her Fae magic were there, but there was no guarantee that either of them could help.
Keltan had never been faced with such a situation. It was just another reason he didn’t want a mate. Already, he was thinking of who he could contact that might be able to help if Bernadette became too ill. Unfortunately, he could think of no one. Not even the Druids and Warriors at MacLeod Castle could help him.
“I’ll get you some water,” Keltan said, needing to do something.
He walked to the door and paused to look back at Bernadette. She leaned her head back on the sofa with her eyes closed. It seemed like it was nothing, but the knot forming in Keltan’s stomach said otherwise.
When he reached the kitchen, he spotted Thorn. The King of Clarets stood looking inside the fridge for something to eat. He glanced Keltan’s way. “How are things going?”
“I doona know.”
Thorn straightened with a frown and closed the refrigerator door. “I thought you told Ryder that she was fine to meet others.”
“Bernadette isna our problem.”
“Bernadette now, huh?” Thorn said with a chuckle.
&n
bsp; Keltan didn’t smile. “Usaeil used her. And from what I’ve gathered from Bernadette’s story, I believe that Usaeil did more than just show her an image of Con. I believe the bitch also made Bernadette give up her life to become obsessed with us.”
“Fuck me,” Thorn mumbled.
“Exactly.”
Thorn crossed his arms over his chest. “We have that knowledge now, so we can make sure Usaeil never hurts Bernadette again once she leaves here with her memories wiped.”
“She’s no’ going anywhere,” Keltan stated.
Thorn’s dark brows shot up on his forehead. “Whoa, brother. What’s going on?”
“Bernadette isna feeling well.”
Thorn shrugged. “That happens to mortals sometimes.”
“I’ve got a bad feeling. Con isna here to help her.”
“Shite,” Thorn mumbled as his arms dropped to his sides. “Usaeil might have sent Bernadette here knowing exactly that. What is hurting her?”
“She says her stomach. She got some ginger gum when I left. I came to get her water.”
Thorn shook his head as he went to the stove. “Some tea might help, too.”
“Good idea.”
“Bring the water. I’ll get the tea,” Thorn told him.
Keltan grabbed a glass and filled it with water before returning to the library. Bernadette lifted her head as soon as he walked in and gave him a smile. That helped relieve some of the growing panic, but not a lot.
“Don’t worry about me,” she told him as she accepted the glass. “My stomach has always been sensitive. It’s why I try to stay away from stressful situations. I guess it was just too much all at one time.”
He took the chair from earlier. “I scared you.”
She chuckled and drank some of the water. “It was the unknown that made things worse. I imagined all sorts of things. Things Usaeil told me, things I learned about the women who have disappeared, and then my imagination filled in the rest. Not to mention that when Usaeil visited me last night, she made me uneasy. I’m not afraid to admit that she scares me. I don’t know what she’ll do if she finds out I came here.”
“She willna bother you again. We’re going to make sure of that.”
“You can do that?” Bernadette asked with a frown.
He gave a firm nod. “Absolutely.”
“Even with her mixing her magic with Druid magic?”
“We can keep her out of Dreagan. We can keep her away from you.”
Bernadette’s smile, full of gratitude and beauty, made his heart skip a beat. “Thank you.”
“Do you think there’s any way that she sent you here?”
Bernadette shook her head, her black hair swinging with her movements. “She was adamant that I keep away from those at Dreagan. She warned me that someone would come to talk to me, and she made it clear that I shouldn’t succumb to any charms or seductions.”
Keltan laughed with Bernadette, but all he could think about was kissing her.
“I don’t know,” Bernadette said with a shrug and took another drink. “The impression I got was that she wanted me to stay away from all of you. She kept pushing me to release an article online. She wanted one every week. She was just so … different last night.”
“How, exactly?”
“Like she was close to getting what she wanted, but there were a few things not lining up. She was angry that I had waited so long to do a lecture. She wanted me to set up another soon, as well as write the articles. It was like she was impatient for the world to know about you.”
Keltan sat back. “That could make sense. If she knows we’re going to attack her, she wants to make sure that everything is lined up to divide our attention.”
Bernadette started to say something, but her head turned to the door when Thorn walked in with a cup of tea in his hand. He flashed her a smile.
“I hear that some tea might be in order,” Thorn said as he stopped before her.
Bernadette set aside the water on the table next to her, and graciously accepted the tea. “That is very kind of you. Thank you.”
“Bernadette,” Keltan said. “This is Thorn. Thorn, Bernadette.”
Her smile was bright as she held out her hand so they could shake. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m so sorry for what I did. I’ll do whatever it takes to fix it. I’ve asked Keltan to make sure that when you take my memories, something is added in about that.”
Thorn glanced at Keltan in surprise. “You’re … all right with us taking your memories?”
“No,” she said with a small laugh. “But I understand why it needs to be done. This place is very special. All of you are. It should be hidden for as long as possible.”
Thorn smiled at Bernadette before he looked at Keltan, and using their link, he said, “I like her. A lot.”
Keltan knew just what he meant. Because he felt the same.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Bernadette tried to think of something other than her upset stomach. And it wasn’t difficult to find something. She closed her eyes, and an image of Keltan popped into her head.
She smiled as she recalled how he’d made her lunch. And what a meal it had been. No man had ever cooked for her before. It was definitely something she could get used to.
Chills raced over her skin when she thought about how he’d taken her hand earlier. His fingers had been long and slender, firm and gentle at the same time. He’d held her hand not like he wanted to control her, but as if he needed to touch her.
Then she had done the same with him. It had been unconscious, really. She’d seen that he was hurting and wished to comfort him. She’d never expected his fingers to wrap around hers so quickly. It made her think that he desired her touch.
Oh, how easily she could let herself fall for Keltan. He was … well, everything. Sure, it helped that he had magic and came from a powerful family, but that’s not what drew her to him. Thorn was the same, yet she didn’t feel any kind of pull to him.
No, it was all Keltan. She sighed when she thought about the way he smiled. And, oh, God, the way he looked at her. His eyes were so damn beautiful. There were more secrets there, or perhaps it was just his years of living that she saw, but it was so easy to become lost in them.
Bernadette wanted to believe that he liked her company, and perhaps found her somewhat attractive. But a man like Keltan—gorgeous, wealthy, and immortal—probably already had a woman. In any event, he could have his pick.
She knew she was being rude by closing her eyes with Keltan and Thorn in the room, but she didn’t have a choice. It was embarrassing to feel so poorly, and she wasn’t going to make matters worse by vomiting. Just thinking about it made her wince.
A large hand came to rest gently on her brow. Then Keltan said in a soft voice, “You shouldna stress in such a way. I apologize if I had anything to do with it.”
Bernadette forced open her eyes and found him squatting next to the arm of the sofa. “You didn’t do anything.”
“I’m sure I’m partly to blame after confronting you following the lecture.”
She shook her head and swallowed, her mouth dry. “I’ll be fine.”
“Why no’ let me take you to a room to rest? Maybe all you need is some sleep,” he offered.
The idea of lying in a bed sounded amazing, but it meant that she would have to stand and walk. And that simply wasn’t something she could do right now.
As soon as she started to argue, Keltan said, “And before you say you can no’, you can. Because I’ll be carrying you.”
“That’s worse,” she whispered and squeezed her eyes closed.
“I’d rather see you get better. Now, put your arm around me.”
She didn’t have a choice as he lifted her. Bernadette wrapped her arm around his neck. The feel of his thick muscles beneath her hands made it difficult for her not to rub her palm over his chest to feel more of him.
Keltan got to his feet with ease, her body cradled in his arms. He smiled down at he
r. “I’ve always wanted to carry a woman to bed.”
His teasing made her chuckle. She managed to keep her head up, but her eyes wouldn’t focus properly when he carried her from the library. Bernadette spotted Thorn on the stairs and smiled his way. There was someone with him, but she couldn’t tell who it was. And, honestly, she didn’t care at the moment. She likely would later, but right now, she just wanted to feel better.
She laid her head on Keltan’s shoulder and closed her eyes. Bernadette hated that she was missing this part of the manor, but maybe she could ask Keltan to take her through it once her stomach settled.
“You’re going to be fine, lass.”
Bernadette smiled at his comforting words. She didn’t know if he was saying that for her or himself, but she liked it either way. She let out a deep breath. “I know. I’m safe with you.”
“Aye, you are. Never forget that. No matter what, I willna let anything happen to you.”
She almost told him that he shouldn’t make promises he couldn’t keep. Then she remembered that he was a Dragon King. Perhaps he could keep this promise.
Neither of them said anything else as he walked her to a bedroom. Bernadette was having a hard time keeping her eyes open. When she woke, she would likely be really embarrassed, but at the moment, she just wanted to sleep.
She sank into the blackness that called to her. She didn’t know how long she was there before she felt a hand on her forehead once more. A soft blanket was wrapped around her, warding off the chill. She was no longer in Keltan’s arms, but she knew he was near.
“Sleep, Bernadette. All will be well,” Keltan whispered.
She could’ve sworn that she felt his lips on her cheek, but most likely it was just her imagination. She wanted to lift her lids and look at him, to smile and let him know that she liked him being there, but her body wouldn’t obey her.
Then she stopped trying.
* * *
“Something isna right,” Keltan whispered to Thorn and Sebastian at the doorway as he stared at Bernadette.
Sebastian shrugged. “She told you that she gets ill when she’s under stress. I’d say the past few days have been extremely stressful.”
