No matter how well he prepared humans, and some shifters, for what they were about to see, they were still shocked to see an actual living, fire-breathing dragon.
I am that magnificent, his dragon said drily.
Let’s hope our mate thinks so. Their mate hadn’t moved and seemed to be barely breathing as she stared at the dragon before her.
What do I do? Kelos’s dragon had never asked that before. He was normally confident and self-assured.
Overconfident, Kelos would say.
No one is asking you, the dragon responded.
Kelos chuckled. You just asked me, ‘what do you do.’
I was talking to myself. The dragon huffed and smoke drifted lazily from his nostrils, floating away on the night air.
Amber took a step forward, her hand raised as she tried to catch the smoke in her hands. A smile spread across her face as the smoke evaded her, vanishing as if it had never been there. Dropping her hands to her sides, she shyly glanced at the dragon before ducking her head.
She’s scared of me. His dragon sounded pitiful, a tone Kelos had never heard from him before. This meant the world to them. If Amber refused to speak to the dragon or interact with him, they were going to have a miserable existence.
“You are real?” she asked, her voice dry and raspy. She moistened her lips, her tongue snaking out. “Of course, you are real.” She dragged a hand through her hair before she inhaled deeply and tilted her chin up to get a good look at him. “Impressive. And I never thought I would ever say that to a real live dragon.”
The dragon inclined his head toward her and then gently puffed smoke in her face.
She giggled. “Yeah, you are Kelos, all right.”
The dragon nodded his head. Braver now, he stepped closer to their mate.
Relief swept over him when she stood her ground and didn’t back away from him. The dragon knew just how intimidating he appeared. Kelos had witnessed fear and panic in the eyes of those who had stood before the huge dragon enough times to know it took strength and courage not to run away.
“You are something, aren’t you?” Amber crooned as she stepped to the side of the dragon, admiring the way the moonlight rippled across his scales.
She’s impressed, his dragon said smugly.
How do you know she isn’t thinking you could do with dropping a few pounds? Kelos asked.
Your humor has not improved over the years, his dragon sighed.
I think I’m funny, Kelos joked before he stepped back and let his dragon experience the wonder of meeting their mate for the first time.
Amber reached out a tentative hand and touched the dragon’s scales with her fingertips. “I thought you might be hot.” The dragon shivered in excitement as she trailed her fingers across his belly then along his flank. Swinging his head around, he watched her as she walked around him. Not that he needed to see her, he could sense her every movement.
“Are we going to fly?” Amber asked when she came back to stand before him.
He looked down at her, unblinking as he etched her face on his memory. She was part of him now, part of his life, part of his soul. Nodding, he lowered himself down to the ground once more.
A smile played across her lips as she inhaled nervously, her breath shuddering through her body. “I never was one for heights.” Her eyes flickered across his face and locked with his. “But I trust you.”
Reaching out with both hands, Amber stroked his snout. Kelos’s dragon lowered his head and she cupped his face in her hands before dropping a light kiss on his head. The dragon was delirious with joy, his heart bursting with love for his mate.
Don’t get cocky, Kelos cautioned him.
I would never put our mate in danger, the dragon assured Kelos.
“Okay, I hope I get this right.” Amber went around the side of him and reached up, her hand sliding off the smooth dragon scales before she managed to curl her fingers under the edge of one of his scales. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
You could only hurt me if you left, his dragon said, knowing she could not hear him but speaking to her all the same.
Heaving herself up, she placed her foot on his leg and boosted herself higher. With some effort, she wriggled her leg over his back until she sat straddling him. “Okay. I’m going to hold on here.” She gripped one of the horny spines that ran along his back. “I hope I’m not hurting you.”
The dragon swung his head around and shook it from side to side. Then he crouched down and sprang into the air like a massive cat.
“Whoa!” Amber’s hands clamped around the horn as she held on tight.
The dragon leveled his body, dropping out of his vertical take-off to glide over the tops of the trees. When he was certain she’d adjusted her position and her seat was secure, he flapped his wings, taking them higher and higher toward the distant peaks.
Remember we promised to keep a check on Margie and the children, Kelos said.
I can still sense them. The dragon’s senses were honed over hundreds of years and stretched farther than the human side of Kelos ever could.
The dragon raced toward a peak that towered over the mountain. Skimming the tip, he then banked and flapped his wings hard, putting on an impressive burst of speed as they hurtled back toward the cabin. Halfway home, he slowed, drifting lazily on a current of warm air, his wings outstretched as he glided along in silence.
Dipping his wings, he descended in ever-decreasing circles toward the ground. He had brought his mate here to see something and as impressive as the dragon was, what he’d brought her here to see was even more impressive.
Meandering over the tips of the trees, he found the spot he was seeking and dropped down out of the sky next to a sheer wall of rock. This was it.
He landed gently, his body rocking back and forth as he got his balance and then he waited for his mate to climb down from his back. For a moment she sat very still, and panic filled his heart, a cold dread that he had flown too far or too fast. But then she unclenched her fingers and hooked her leg behind her.
The dragon crouched down as Amber slid down his shoulder. Her feet landed on his bent forelimb and she leaned against him to steady herself for a moment before she half turned and jumped to the ground.
“That was incredible.” Amber ran her hand along his sinewy neck as she approached his head.
The dragon looked down at her, his eyes unblinking. He wanted this moment to last forever, but the human side of Kelos needed to return.
The air shimmered as the dragon let go of the world around him. His last action before his human form returned was to rub his head gently against Amber’s shoulder. Then he was gone.
An instant later, Kelos stood on two feet with a broad grin on his face. “You didn’t run.”
“He didn’t scare me.” Amber’s hand trembled as she brushed her hair back from her face. “I was more surprised at first. And then the flight over the mountains… It was incredible. He’s incredible.”
“He is.” Kelos nodded in agreement. “And he thinks the same about you.”
“I’m honored.” Amber looked up at the high cliff which towered above them. “So why are we here?”
“I have something to show you.” Kelos held out his hand and Amber took it, their fingers entwining as he led her toward the solid rock cliff.
“I can’t see anything.” Amber’s foot snagged on a rock and she stumbled. Kelos reached out for her and caught her, holding his mate against his body.
“Just stay close. Once we get inside, we can use the flashlight.” He kept his arm around her as he half carried his mate toward the cave entrance hidden behind a veil of tree roots and branches.
“Why can’t we use a flashlight here?” she asked as she gave in and relied on his assistance.
“Because I don’t want anyone to see where we are going.” He didn’t want to say anymore. Not yet.
“A cave?” Amber asked as they walked right up to the cliff face and he brushed the roots aside. A smal
l trickle of dirt showered them, and he used his body to shield his mate from the worst of it.
“A cave.” He ducked his head and went inside. Amber hesitated, pulling away from him.
“What about Margie and the children?”
“They are safe. As the dragon flies, they are close and I cannot sense anyone else around,” he assured her.
“Is this some kind of seduction routine?” she asked bluntly. If it were, she was not impressed. It was a good thing it was not. Although, the thought of bringing her to a cave and claiming her stirred his emotions and his arousal intensified.
Focus, his dragon told him.
“No.” He held his hand out to her. “I want to show you something. Something important to me. It’s almost a part of me.”
“In a cave?” Uncertainty laced her voice.
“Trust me, Amber. I promise your family is safe.” He leaned forward and beckoned to her.
With a sigh, she reached out and took his hand. “Okay. I trust you.”
With a smile of triumph, his fingers closed around hers and he led her inside the cave. As the veil of roots and branches fell back into place, they were completely alone at last.
Except for his treasure, which sang to him like a siren on the high seas. But his need for his mate was stronger. If she asked him to leave now, he would go.
If she asked him to give all his treasure away. He would. Without a moment’s hesitation.
Our mate is more important, more precious than any treasure, his dragon agreed.
Kelos had never thought to hear his dragon say those words. But they were in complete agreement. Their mate was as necessary as the air they breathed. She would always come first.
Chapter Fourteen – Amber
“Here’s the flashlight.” Kelos rummaged around in the dark before he straightened up and thrust something into her hand. Amber closed her fingers around the curved handle of the flashlight. “Press the button here to turn it on and off.”
Her thumb rested on the raised button and she pressed it. A beam of light instantly illuminated the area around them. It was a cave.
“There’s nothing here.” She swung the beam of light left and right across the cave floor. All she could see were lumps of fallen rock and dust. Tipping the flashlight, she shone it over the ceiling. “This isn’t about to fall down around us, is it?”
“Nope, it’s quite safe. Don’t worry.” He slipped his hand into hers. “This way.” The excitement in his voice was contagious and a shiver of anticipation threaded through her as he set off across the cave heading for the back wall, which looked like another solid rock face.
“Where…” The beam of light rested on a small gap in the rock. “We’re going in there?” Kelos was leading her deeper and deeper into the cave and a sudden wave of claustrophobia swept over her.
“There’s a short tunnel and then it opens up into another cave. It’s safe,” he assured her. “I wouldn’t have brought you down here if it wasn’t.”
He wouldn’t. He’d sworn to protect her and said he could never hurt her. It was safe. At least, Kelos believed it was safe. However, she lacked the ability to shift into a huge dragon with a tough scaly skin that would protect him from falling debris.
“I don’t like it in here,” she admitted. “But if this is important to you then I’ll follow you.”
She took a deep breath and forced the air into her lungs even though her throat constricted with panic as she followed Kelos into the tunnel. Whatever was here had better be good.
“Can you still sense Margie and the kids? Even through the rock?” Amber asked as panic over her sister-in-law threatened to overtake panic of being buried alive under tons of rock.
“I can still sense her,” Kelos assured her. “They are alone.”
“And if anyone came for them, would we get back there in time to save them?” Amber asked. If this was her idea of taking her mind off the enclosed space around them then she had to be a masochist. Torturing herself with thoughts of her sister-in-law getting kidnapped was not the way to go.
“I would.” He nodded, his face pale in the light from the flashlight. “I promise.”
She nodded grimly and followed him through the tunnel, thankful when they exited the other side. As the cave opened up, the air smelled sweeter, less stagnant, and she wondered if there was another entrance into this part of the cave.
“Is this it?” Amber still couldn’t see why they were here.
“This way.” He inclined his head to the right and she followed him, sweeping the ground with the flashlight.
“What is that?” The light reflected off something shiny. As she moved the beam back and forth, the shiny object grew bigger. “Oh, my.”
“This is what I brought you here to show you.” His hand swept in an arc encompassing a large pile of treasure.
“Dragon treasure is a thing.” She let go of his hand and rushed forward then stopped dead in her tracks. “Is it real?”
“It most certainly is,” he assured her. Excitement laced his voice. An obsessive excitement.
“How did you…?” She shook her head and shone the torch at his face. “Where did it all come from? Did you rob a bank?”
“No. Stolen treasure does not give me the same pleasure.” He laughed, the sound echoing back at him. “This is all mine. I’ve earned it through the centuries. When dragons roamed the Earth, we would often be hired to protect towns and villages. I’ve even fought in a couple of wars. I suppose you would call me a mercenary these days, but I’ve never fought for anyone who was ruthless or bad. And those battles were long ago, fought with swords and spears.”
“This must be worth a fortune. Literally.” Amber took a couple of quick steps forward and then stopped. “Can I touch it?”
“Yes.” He nodded. “You are my mate.”
“These jewels.” She held up a ruby between her finger and thumb and shone the flashlight on it. “They’re all real?”
“Yes. All real. The gold is mostly old coins that are not used anymore.” He picked up a handful and let it trickle through his fingers. “But I recall the days when this was the currency we used.”
“I can’t imagine how long you have been alive. What you must have seen.” Amber picked up a trinket box and opened it. “Wow.” She hooked her finger through a diamond-encrusted necklace and held it up. “Women used to wear these jewels. I mean, I know they used to wear them but these days anyone wearing this would be surrounded by security guards.”
“In the days when this was worn, the lady would have been protected by men with swords.” He smiled, a sad smile filled with the ghosts of his past. Kelos must have lost so many friends over the years. “It’s yours if you want it.”
Amber’s hand trembled as she lowered the diamond necklace back into the ornate box and shut the lid. “Thank you.” She nodded. “It’s a generous gift but I would be scared to lose it and I don’t think I would ever have a chance to wear it.”
“What about on our wedding day?” Kelos asked.
“Our wedding day.” She blew the air out of her cheeks. “Wow.” Amber nodded briefly. “Maybe on our wedding day.”
“I’m not asking you to drop everything and marry me right away,” Kelos said. “But I do want to marry you.”
“We’ve only just met.” It was a thin excuse and they both knew it. Amber also knew she owed him more of an explanation. “I just need more time.”
“So, you are not saying no?” Kelos asked, unsure of her answer.
“I’m not saying no,” she confirmed. “But until Fabian and his family are safe, I really don’t have space in my head to think of anything else, let alone a wedding.”
“I would happily marry you quietly with no fuss.” His brows knitted together. “That did not sound the way I wanted it to sound.”
“As if you were ashamed of me?” she asked as she moved around the edge of the treasure. “As if I was a woman of ill repute?”
“I only meant…” He si
ghed and shook his head. “You are well aware of what I meant.”
“You are so easy…” She picked up a handful of treasure and let it slip through her fingers. “Did you bring me here because of what Shawn said?”
“I did,” he acknowledged.
“Why?” She came back toward him. “Because you didn’t want me to think badly toward him or because you didn’t want me to think you were poor?”
“Both, I suppose.” Kelos shrugged.
“One thing you should know about me, Kelos.” Amber came right up to him, so close she could feel the heat emanating from his body, chasing away the chill of the cave. “Money, treasure, it doesn’t really matter to me. It never really has. I guess that’s why I live the life I do.”
He sighed and nodded. “I would give it all away for you,” he said simply.
“I wouldn’t ever ask you to do that.” She looked over her shoulder at the treasure. “You could have purchased a mansion with some of this gold.”
“I don’t like to part with it,” he admitted. Plucking a gem out of the pile, he held it up, gazing at it as if it were an old friend. “Each piece of treasure is like a part of me. I spent a couple of decades without my treasure and it was as if someone had ripped out my heart.”
“And yet you would give it all away for me.” She arched an eyebrow. “If you hadn’t told me you would never lie to me, I might not believe you.”
“I just wanted you to know that you are the most important thing in the world to me. That my heart needs you more than it needs treasure.” He threw the emerald back on to the pile. “I also wanted to offer you my help. Or Fabian.”
“Fabian? What does he have to do with this?” Amber asked as she turned away from him and put her hands on her hips as she stared at the treasure.
“Is there any way… I could sell some pieces of treasure… The museum would be interested, I’m sure.” His jaw tightened. “Would money help?”
She blinked rapidly, fighting to keep her tears at bay. “No, money would not help.” She put her back to the treasure and placed her hands on his upper arms. His eyes darkened as he looked down at her. She would much rather stare into his eyes than stare at a diamond or ruby. “But thank you for the offer. Knowing how much you love your treasure, it means a lot that you would even suggest parting with any of it.”
Kelos: Spring (Shifter Seasons Book 4) Page 11
