Tristan: The Manning Dragons ― Paranormal Dragon Shifter Romance

by Kathi S. Barton

  Once he’d found himself in a cave with a hungry, angry bear. It had taken him nearly losing his legs to the beast for him to make it out alive. Then one other time he’d ended up on a horse with his neck in a noose, and told to recite the magic that he’d been given until the man came back for him. The man came back several days later, the horse dead from overeating. Eric was standing atop his back on his tiptoes to stay alive.

  “You did well with this. I thought for sure that you’d be dead by now.” Eric hadn’t said anything. “Having your magic bring you hay for the horse to eat was a good idea. Next time I will have to try harder. Unless you are willing to work harder at what I want you for.”

  “I will.” He did too, to a certain point, before he’d zone out again. But he had been able to spew back what he’d say to him with the lessons. Just until the man had seen that he was fit to do the job. Then, like the lessons in reading and writing, it went away as soon as he learned it.

  The first time he’d had to kill a child with the magic, he’d been surprised to find it was just an egg, not much bigger than the one that he’d had for his breakfast that morning. The man had come to him when he’d called out to him, wondering if this was going to get him killed for not knowing. The egg was crushed under the man’s boot as he said the words to make sure that the magic didn’t bring the dragon herself back. Then he explained that they would be eggs that he’d send him out to destroy, that he should have remembered that.

  “I thought that the egg would have been open by now. I didn’t know I was to kill the dragon before it was to even breathe.” The man thought on it, and said that he’d not really thought of that and was sorry. It had been the last time that he’d seen him alive. And the last time that Eric had called out for him.

  Two years after that one time, he’d come upon a man’s body sitting in a chair in the slayer’s house, burnt beyond recognition. In his hand had been a dagger. It didn’t appear as if he’d gotten to use it before he was killed. Eric had always assumed that it had been his boss. Now he wasn’t so sure.

  Eric had watched the house for several days after finding the body. It didn’t appear to him as if anyone cared that the man had died by fire, or that his house sat empty of anything of value. Moving into the home hadn’t been that hard. The only difficult part had been to get the smell of his burnt carcass out of the library. After opening the windows and doors to the room, Eric had shut the room off, hoping that the smell would dissipate soon enough. It had been centuries since then, and there was still a lingering odor of crisp flesh and burnt wood, Eric thought.

  Sometime later he did hear about a witch giving magic to a dragon that would make it so that dragons could walk among humans. Mostly, about every time he heard the story, it would involve the Mannings. There was something about them, something that would make him hide from them should he ever see him. It also made Eric’s ball sac curl into his body and his ass tighten up so tightly that it would take him days to take a good shit.

  Now, here he sat, wondering what would happen if the child that should have been killed by now were to live. What would happen to him? Who would come for him? Eric decided to go and have a look at the hospital himself, to see if the magic of the child would come to him while he was there.

  He was still searching for a book that he’d been given long ago when Allen came back to talk to him. Eric told him what he was doing when asked. The boy told him that he’d had an idea. It was amazing to Eric how many ideas one person could have, but he did listen to him regarding the child.

  “Maybe it was one of those home birth things. I heard that women do that all the time nowadays.” He had him explain to him what that meant. However, when he went into too much detail, he had him stop. “That might be why it wasn’t at the birthing area. Maybe the baby died or something like the mom did, and they had to go to the hospital. That could be why you felt it there.”

  “That could be right.” Eric liked that idea. It was better than him fucking up. “Go there and see if you can find out about a baby girl dying. That way we’ll know if our work has been done for us, or if we have to keep looking for her.”

  After Allen left him for the second time, Eric looked around the office. It was a mess, made worse now because he’d been pulling out papers looking for something that would remind him of his mission. The harder he tried to remember what he’d been looking for and why, the more he just wanted to take a nap.

  Going to his room, he laid on his bed. It was as stark as the rooms downstairs were crowded. After settling himself into the one person bed, Eric closed his eyes. Tomorrow he’d remember what he’d been looking for and why, then he’d clean up the office. It was beginning to take on the appearance of the trash heap out back. He’d make sure that the child was dead too, and then he’d be working on getting things organized. Yes, Eric thought, tomorrow would be all right again.

  ~*~

  Wynter wasn’t sure that she wanted to ever change out of being a dragon. It was empowering to her. Being meek and weak all her life, having the ability to change into something so powerful made her want to roar out to the world that she was back.

  “What are you thinking, Wynter?” Too embarrassed to tell Tristan what she’d been thinking, she asked him if this was a place that they came to often. “Yes. We all do a few times a week. It gives us a nice view of the town, as well as anything we might need to keep an eye on. Such as if something is burning or a farmer’s crop might need tending to by one of us.”

  He had changed back to his dragon, and as much as she wanted to remain a dragon, she didn’t think it was very easy on either of them to talk to each other this way. Shifting to her regular old self, she had been glad when her clothing stayed with her.

  “Does your dragon talk to you?” Tristan stared at her for so long that she was sure that he wasn’t going to answer her. “Mine does. She said that we’re to keep records of the dragons that are born and die.”

  “Mine does as well. He said that we’ll be the keepers of the stories of dragons. I wonder if it’s something that we should talk to Cooper about.” Wynter didn’t know, but didn’t say that to Tristan. Instead, she looked down the mountain toward the town. “It’s beautiful up here. In the fall and summer, it’s almost too breathtaking to describe.”

  “When I was ten years old, Dad had to go to Spain for a few days. I don’t remember what the reason was, but Mom and I got to go with him. The only part that I remember well is the plane ride over and back. While I enjoyed Spain a great deal, I was too exhausted when the kids were out playing, and up all night trying to understand what was being said on the television. Jet lag got me hard.” He asked her if she’d learned to speak any other languages. “Yes. I can now speak Spanish, thankfully, and a couple of others. I wasn’t the brightest kid in the classroom, but I certainly worked the hardest to get good grades.”

  “I myself have been a doctor, lawyer, judge, as well as a great many other things over my lifetime. The one that I enjoyed the most, I think, was being a gardener. I mean, not just that, but anything that would have me working with plants and out of doors.” She said that she loved plants. “Because of what you are, I’m betting. Dragons and nature go hand in hand. As do the faeries that we have with us at all times.”

  “Rose, she told me that I’d have to have a faerie now that I am a Manning.” She looked over at Tristan. “Is that all it takes for me to be a Manning is for me to be your mate?”

  “Yes. However, for the human race, we do marry our mates. And every hundred years or so, we’ll change our names on the deeds to the houses from yours to mine, as well as anything else that we own. Simply because it looks better. Even though the townspeople know what we are, there are some agencies that won’t be as understanding.” Wynter nodded. “I was wondering if you’d mind very much if I touched you. Just your skin. I need to.”

  “I know. It’s as if my body is on fire for you to touch me. But to be honest with you, Tristan, I’m not sure that I’m ready
for anything else. Things are popping off in my head so quickly that I can barely keep up. I sometimes need to shut my brain down, it feels like.” He said that he could understand that. “Do you really?”

  “Yes. When we were made a long time ago, there wasn’t nearly as much going on in the world as there is now. Imagine a world where there aren’t any cars or cell phones. No transportation much, other than your two feet. No grocery stores or drug stores. There wasn’t even light back then for the most part. Candles and such. We were brought out of hiding as humans without any knowledge of how anything worked. Dressing, walking, how to find food, or even a home to live in was difficult. Not that we were sheltered—we were just not prepared to be humans.”

  Wynter sat down on the grass, wondering at the warmth of the ground as she told him what she’d been doing in her lifetime. It wasn’t as fascinating as his life, but it was the only one that she’d had.

  “After my father passed away, it was more difficult for Mom and me to get what we needed. There were always vegetables; Mom and I worked hard to have a garden in the back. And we had clean water to drink, thankfully. I’ve never been one for sweet things, and lucky for us, neither was Mom. But we had each other, and that’s what really counts. Then I was hurt, then arrested for no good reason.” He asked her if she’d been around that many shifters. “Yes, a few. When I was working, there were a lot of them coming in and out of the nursery. They were nice, and the best people with children. I guess there are a few of them that aren’t so good with anyone, but in my life, I’ve not had to be subjected to many that were bad people. I think that humans, for the most part, take that title.”

  “That’s a sad thing to think. I’m not saying that you’re wrong, but it’s sad all the same.” When she leaned back on his chest so that she could watch the clouds, Tristan asked her what she wanted to do now. “We have a very long life to do pretty much anything that we want.”

  “I don’t know. I don’t have any idea that I want to do anything until this trial thing is over with. Your brother Hudson told me that I’d more than likely be called back in to testify. But this time he’d be calling the shots. He’s very confident in things that he’s collected. The court appointed attorney that I had when I was in the courthouse the first time died the night before the trial. That’s why the trial was held over, just until they found someone else to take over. It was a mess.” Tristan said that he’d found out a great deal as well. “That man is still out there, you know. I mean, I don’t even think that anyone even bothered to find him. This sucks, because they could ask him about my part in his stupidity.”

  “I doubt very much if he’d answer that truthfully either. People that are in trouble rarely admit to doing it. And telling them that you were no part of it would actually say that he did the crime. He won’t be able to do that unless he’s willing to admit to killing those people.” Wynter hadn’t thought of it that way. “You can rest assured that when we do find him, and we will, he’ll admit to the killings as well as anything else that he’s done. Winnie will make sure of that.”

  “She’s sort of scary, isn’t she?” Wynter yawned, feeling relaxed for the first time in a very long time. “So are the rest of the women. They have a bite to what they’re saying, too. I’d not mess with any of them, even on a good day, which I’m not sure that they have.”

  “You’re just as badassed as they are.” She snorted at him. “I’m being serious right now. You’ve managed to keep me at arm’s length since I’ve met you. Not to mention, you’ve kept yourself out of trouble in the jail system.” Wynter yawned again, this time letting her eyes close for a moment or two. “You’re a very beautiful woman. Have I told you that?”

  “No.” She yawned again and simply let her eyes close for a little while longer this time. “I’m beat. Wake me up in a few minutes and we’ll go see the house. I just need a small nap right now.”

  Wynter felt like she was walking in deep snow—not as herself, but as her heavy dragon. It was difficult, she’d figured out, to walk as a dragon, but she struggled along the way until she could see the lights in the house in front of her.

  “Just a bit more, my love, my life, and we’ll be fine.” She didn’t know who the dragon might be talking to, but Wynter let it go. Dreams were like that. Everything seemed to make perfect sense when you were dreaming. “I know that you’ll be safe here. You were meant for better things, and you must be protected. I can no longer do that with your father dead.”

  The house was closer now. There was a curl of smoke coming from the chimney that looked warm and inviting. Wynter could see that the dragon was using her tail to swish away the prints that she was making. Then the dragon called to someone named Flame.

  “Come come now, you know as well as I that this must be done.” The little faerie nodded and moved closer to the dragon. That was when she noticed that she was carrying a large bundle. It was bright with something like a flashlight. Still they moved along until they were at the door to the home. That was when Wynter noticed that she knew this home, this door. It was one that she’d grown up around all her life. The bundle was put down on the step. It was a brightly colored egg, about the size of a small watermelon.

  “I’m sorry, my love, but they follow me no matter the precautions that I take. You will be safe here.” Flame asked the dragon if she was ready. “I am. Are you as well? Once I do this, I know that it will take my life away. You must take me with you when I go.”

  “I have a team ready, my lady. Once you have performed the magic, I will make sure that you are taken to lie with your mate.” The dragon smiled and tossed back the blanket that covered her from head to tail. “You are sure this will be the only way it will work?”

  “Yes. After Briton died, Sadie the witch came to me and told me that our babe was meant for things greater than any other dragon born since the Manning dragons. You will keep watch over her for me?”

  Flame said that she would. It was then that Wynter could see the tiny creature. She looked like a flame, from the light blue of her feet and part of her legs, all the way to the top of her head, being a wonderful shade of red, and all the colors in-between that represented a flame on the tip of a match.

  Before she could look away, the dragon started talking. Or, as she came to realize, she was saying a spell.

  Wynter woke with a start. She was in a bed, not upon the hill where she’d fallen asleep. Looking around the room, she knew immediately where she was, and jumped out of bed to talk to Tristan. She had been that egg. Her mother had changed her. A faerie with fire red hair had taken her mother’s body away, too.

  Going down the stairs, she stopped when she heard Tristan talking to someone in the room just at the bottom of the stairs. Not really being nosey, she did pause outside the room to see if she could interrupt him with the information that she now had. The sound of a woman’s shrill voice had her backing away from the door. The woman was really pissed off about something.

  She wanted to know what was going on and she didn’t. First of all, it wasn’t her business, and secondly, she thought that she might be listening in on a lovers’ spat. That was what it was sounding like to her. The words hurt her heart in ways that she didn’t care for.

  Come in here and save my ass. She nearly jumped when Tristan spoke to her. Please? She might eat me alive or me her, and I don’t want to have to fill out the paperwork. Come in and tell this woman that you and I are married.

  Why would she believe me? He smiled and told her that he was planning on it as soon as today, if she’d say yes. But I haven’t yet. Perhaps this woman would...no, that can’t be right. I thought that she would make you a better wife than me, but I think that I’m more suited. I can fly.

  He laughed, and Wynter felt everything in her body warm. Come in here, my love, and you’ll make me the happiest man alive.

  I’m doing this so you don’t have to eat her. This has nothing to do with you, all right? He laughed again. You’re such a dork. Yes, I’ll save you.
But you owe me big time.

  Wynter stiffened her back and walked into the room. When she saw the other woman, she nearly excused herself and walked away. But Tristan pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Everything seemed to fall into place. Not just did her broken heart mend, but she felt stronger than she had before.

  “Hello, darling.” She kissed him again. “I didn’t know that you had company. I was just going to see about—” The clock on the wall struck noon and she smiled at the other woman. “I was going to be seeing to lunch. I do hope that I don’t have to make the cook add another plate. I did want you alone.”

  The woman not only screamed, but stamped her foot as well. In a few seconds, the front door slammed and Tristan pulled her closer to his body. It was then that she realized that she might well love this man, and put her arms around his neck. Then she kissed him right back.

  Chapter 4

  Her body felt good against his. Tristan wanted to pull away from her, have her strip down to her lovely flesh, but he couldn’t keep his hands off her. She wasn’t just his mate at this moment, but the woman that he’d loved since the day he’d been born. The years and years of waiting for her were finally over.

  Tristan moved them to the bedroom quickly, using the magic that he’d always had to do so. “I don’t want to stop, but are you sure about this?” To show him, she ran her thigh over his cock, then her hands gripped him in a tight grip. “I’m going to take that as a yes.”

  Taking her to the bed, he stood over her as she sat on the edge. There were so many things that he wanted to do to her. Many more that he wanted to do with her. As soon as she lay back on the bed she was naked, and all thoughts went out of his head. Tristan wasn’t even sure that he could remember how to breathe at this moment.

  “I’ve had sex before. But I’ve not had all that much practice. If I mess up or don’t do something right, will you—?” Tristan put his hand over her mouth, laying his entire length over her. Her giggle caught him off guard.