Chapter 2
A Bitter Pill
Toreen struggled to come to terms with his feelings for Cretia. His dragon had no such trouble, he wanted her. It was the first time he ever remembered a disagreement between him and his dragon and this one was not easy to resolve. If only he could explain what held him back from claiming her.
The first time he’d seen her she’d been the victim of a despicable attack where two males had beaten her unconscious. He’d been horrified especially when he felt an instant bond to the small badly injured female. Holding back then had made sense, what if she died? But why did he not want to get close to her now? Was it her ties to the rebels? They were a group he was completely opposed to.
It had been hard to learn she was part of their movement even if it was unwillingly. Maybe it was what he’d heard about her sister? Dannia was evil incarnate. Yet he’d seen enough of Cretia to realize she was not like that. This whole thing confused him and he had no idea how to sort it out in his head.
His solution? Ignore it and hope time dealt with it. In time, maybe things would just work out for the best. At least it was his hope it would. Cretia was pretty, he wouldn’t deny that. The woman was a hard worker and he’d seen signs that she was intelligent and learned quickly.
Her confidence was lacking, but that could be caused by Dannia and the fact that everyone overlooked the evil and favored her.
“Toreen?” Niku said.
“Yes?”
“Where is your head at?”
“Somewhere it shouldn’t be.” He admitted.
“You’ve done well on the crops and turning the manor into a boarding house for now was genius.” Niku praised.
“None of it is my doing. Cretia is responsible for the changes. She even helps my people and many of them are doing the best they ever have. Much of what she’s applied are things she’s learned from Betty. Other things she’s learned from Bree and Dori. Her mind is open and willing to accept new ways. Her cooking is better than any except Dori and the girls. Others sing her praises.” He admitted.
“And you?” Niku asked quietly.
“My dragon would kill for her. The human side resists and I can’t even say why.”
“A fated mate is a rare and precious things. At some point, she’ll leave you. Cretia is a proud woman with a tender heart.”
“I know, yet I can’t force myself to mate with her.” Toreen admitted.
Niku knew not what to say so he changed the subject. “Tomi will be opening the cafeteria at the castle that recently closed. Bree and Betty will be providing some of her supplies. Cretia has thrown your name in the hat too.”
“What hat? Is this how Earthers make decisions?” Toreen asked completely confused.
“It’s an Earth term and I believe certain things were once decided that way. It just means to be given consideration. I believe you will be on a rotation with Bree and Betty to provide the needed items. Tomi hopes all of you will provide some cooked items as well.”
“I have no way to do that.” Toreen admitted.
“Your mate does. She’s even learned how to do the meat pies as well as Dori does. I understand this is a big accomplishment.” Niku offered.
“I didn’t realize she had gotten that skilled at pies. The only one I’ve had has been the berry pie.”
“That’s the one most people like best. Maybe she doesn’t know you like anything else?”
That could be true since they never spoke probably because he avoided her. He saw her, sometimes he hid and watched her when she worked outside. His hungry eyes drank her in as his dragon inhaled her scent and moped for his mate. Eventually he knew he had to mate her, but what was he waiting for?
“I don’t understand my feelings as far as she is concerned.”
“I know you lost trust of females when our mother died and father remated. I had much concern too until I saw Betty. Few females are like father’s mate and you need to realize Cretia isn’t. She doesn’t beg for things money buys, she works as hard as two females, and she cares about those around her. If you can’t see this, you will lose her eventually. No female will put up with what you are doing. Work through the issues in your mind and put them to rest. I urge you to do this soon.” Niku advised.
It was true, since he’d brought her home, he’d seen nothing but the good a female can have. Maybe he did allow that woman his father had taken to mate to affect his view of mating. But he didn’t want to stay alone. Nothing made sense.
“Come, Brother. I will see you out. Thank you for trying to help.” Niku wasn’t the lord, but these would always be his people.
His brother wanted to help him do the best he could by them. Their father had taken everything that he could easily sell or remove when he had left in his attempt to please a female that could never be given enough to be happy. Many of the antiques and valuables, family artifacts worth so much more than he would have been able to get from selling them, had been taken from the estate.
Up until their mother had died, their father had been a good male. He’d shown concern about the lands and helped their mother see to them. The change in him had been horrible to see. His only concern was for that creature he’d mated. Toreen would never be like that. As much as he wanted love, love could be used against you.
Was that his problem? Did he fear Cretia would reel him in and become more like his horrible stepmother, Mabest? If he wasn’t so busy, he might think about that. Unfortunately, he was needed in the fields to check if the crops were ready or not. Once they were, it didn’t pay to delay harvesting. They would lose any that were overripe.
Toreen checked four fields finding them all ready to harvest right away. Once harvested, he would apply nutrients to the soil and plant a different crop as soon as possible. His planet didn’t lack for food, but they sold at least half the crops produced on their world to other planets that specialized in more industrialized products like space ships and appliances. Some even produced computers and robots.
With the nearby creek to use as a water source, Toreen was considering branching out to raise fish. He wondered what Cretia would think, but he’d never know since he wouldn’t ask her. If he put in the facilities to raise the fish, he might also want to process them. There were so many decisions and he needed to make the right ones to have the resources to do his best for his people.
Right now things were better and improving even more. Part of that, alright, a lot of that was Cretia, but he needed to keep working hard and not allow her to distract him. If he did, things here would suffer. Cretia might not be like his father’s new wife, but she wasn’t like his mother either. Soon, he’d do something soon. Meanwhile, as he finished his day’s work he was so tired he skipped supper to shower and fall into bed.
When he woke, he was ready to start his day and he’d pushed thoughts of Cretia into the back of his mind. She didn’t stay there long. He ran through the accounts and saw a large deposit he couldn’t explain. Where had the money come from? Only one person would know and that was Cretia. No matter how he resisted speaking to her, there was no choice.
Toreen strode through the manor like a male on a mission and people rushed to get out of his way fearing he would run over them. As he neared her office, he slowed and took a fortifying breath. Knocking on the door, he almost hoped she would not be inside.
“Come in.” Clearly it had been too much to hope for.
“Cretia.” His face turned red at the husky tone of voice he’d used as he said her name.
“Toreen. You never come here. Is something amiss?”
“Yes, no.” He paused trying to decide how to proceed.
“I’m glad we cleared that up.” She teased.
“There is a large deposit in my account.”
“And you find that disturbing?”
By the goddess, she was still teasing him. “I wish to know where it came from.”
“I studied your accounts to see where all the money was going. I couldn’t understand why, with all the income a lord has, you never have any money.”
“Things weren’t left in good shape when I took over.” Toreen observed.
“I know your father stole you blind. This is common knowledge. There are several dozen expenses that have no explanation that I can find. They all go into an account where the money is drained off throughout the year. I closed the account, took the money in it back, and stopped the deductions. My thought is if the expenses are genuine, whoever is removing the funds will contact you. If not, they won’t be stealing anymore.”
Toreen dropped into a chair. He’d been disappointed with his father for all he’d taken from him and Niku. At least he’d thought it was over and they were now left to rebuild and replace what was taken one step at a time. Now Cretia had found that someone was stealing from him and he had no doubt it was his father. No wonder they just barely scraped by and could never get on top of things.
“I thank you for bringing this to my attention.” Toreen said as he drew in a breath and got up leaving without saying another word. Loyalty only went so far and it was time to see exactly what was going on.
Pulling out his com as soon as he was out of her hearing, he pressed a button. “Niku.”
“This is Toreen. Cretia found something in the books. Dozens of expenses going into one account. She could find no explanation for them. Apparently they go back years. I need this investigated.”
“Father?”
“Who else could get into the books and set up accounts? Will this ever end?”
“It ends now. I’ll come by, get everything, and have an investigator put on it.” Niku assured.
One way or the other, it would be over. That his own father could do something like this hurt. He would wait and see what the investigation brought to light. “Thank you.”
“This might be a good time to talk to Romo’s mom about Laurelia Proper. Dannia influenced males and our father changed so much when this female came along. Let me talk to Romo and see if we can set up a meeting. I’ll call you back and let you know.” Niku assured.
“I’ll be expecting your call.” Niku hung up and all this gave Toreen a cause to wonder.
Cretia was not only from Laurelia Proper, but Dannia’s sister. Perhaps his concerns were legitimate after all. Yet, his dragon reminded him she’d done nothing, but good, for him personally. Also, neither of the mates they were concerned with were fated mates. That connection was so strong, how could either one hurt the other?
In Toreen’s dragon’s opinion, it wasn’t possible and it was time to embrace their sweet mate before she left them for good. His dragon thought his human side a fool. He tried to deny it, but it was hard to do when faced with the facts.
He’d waited, had even eaten lunch, and still Niku hadn’t called. As usual the call came when he’d given up on the likelihood of getting called today. “Toreen.”
“This is Niku. We have an invitation to supper at Ma’s house with Romo.”
“That’s good. Does he know why?”
“Of course. I’m sure he even hinted about the reason to Ma.” Ma was what Romo’s mother preferred to be called so everyone they knew called her that. The female was a nurturer and so much like the mother he and Niku had lost, it hurt to see her. He still made an effort and saw her, usually monthly.
Toreen knew he was messed up emotionally, but he loved Ma and Niku’s father so he treated them like a beloved aunt and uncle. More time and thought was spent on them than on his own father. His stepmother was horrible and he preferred never to see her at all. To him she represented evil, the selfish self-serving type.
Supper wasn’t far away so he sent a message to Cretia that he had plans for supper so she wouldn’t send him a platter of food. He then headed to his room to clean up and change clothes. Understanding what had come over his father had been impossible at the time. It was his hope he’d gain some of that understanding now.
Once he was prepared, he took a container of wine with him. When he changed into his dragon, he picked up the container in his claws and headed to Ma’s home. His dragon was huge, one of the largest he’d ever seen or heard of. Only the emperor’s was larger. Some might think his dragon, dark as night with steel grey on the underside of his neck and chest, made for stealthy night flights until he spread his enormous wings tipped in gold with red on the undersides of both.
Like Niku, he too was a fire breather and of royal lineage. It gave him and the families around him an edge when he burned all their fields for them. It saved days of hard labor or if one chose to hire a fire breather, a large bag of gold. All these things he thought of as he flew high only to descend quickly since Romo’s parents didn’t live far. As he landed, he scented the aroma of cooking meat in the backyard coming from the fire pit.
Ma must have had Pa cooking a large amount of meat. Pa was a great guy who loved his mate enough to do anything to make life easier on her. She’d be fixing all the other dishes including a berry pie that was her specialty. Her cooking was good, but not as creative as the recipes Dori had. Romo had mentioned Ma was using some of Dori’s recipes too now. It made him look forward to the meal even more.
Walking around the back, he set the wine container on a table. They had glassblowers who made bottles like the Earth wines came in, but here they tended to use clay jars more.
“Greetings, Toreen. Ma is inside getting food ready. Niku called from Romo’s and they are headed here.”
Toreen walked up to him and gave him a male hug. Something he’d done since he’d been a teenager and too grown up to give the usual hugs. “Why so formal? You are closer to me than my own father and Ma has always been a second mother to me. We are here simply for help, there’s no judgement or recriminations to be bandied about.”
Pa looked relieved. “Tell me how things are with you while we wait for the others.”
For a change, Toreen told him the unvarnished truth. None of this I’m doing fine. The whole story of what had happened while his father had run his lands before he’d come of age and what his father had taken with him when he left was revealed.
“We might have been able to help you, Toreen. You should have come to us.” Pa insisted.
“It seems we were all keeping secrets.” Toreen admitted.
The sounds of laughter and talking came to them just before Romo and Niku made their way around the corner. “Good day.” They both greeted almost in unison.
The usual male talking now began with no talk about what they were there for. That would take place after supper and include Ma. As much as Toreen needed answers, he didn’t look forward to it at all.
Ma set down a dish she’d brought with her. “Greetings.” She said as she set it down.
“We’ll help carry the food out.” Toreen volunteered them all. Two trips and it was all on the table.
Ma’s tension seemed to ease as she saw them all, including Pa who’d been tense before, relaxed and happy to be there. “Enjoy your meal and know nothing bad for you will come of what’s said here.” Toreen whispered to her.
She nodded and seemed more her usual self. They attacked the food as only dragons could. The flavors were reminiscent of Dori’s cooking. It seemed Ma had adjusted to the Earth way of cooking and it was good. Plates were empty and all of them were nearly full. Ma went to the kitchen grabbing pies for dessert.
“This smells delicious.” Pa said and they all agreed.
“While we relax and eat dessert, let’s discuss this matter of importance. All we wish from you, Ma, is some information. You’ve heard of Dannia? She controls males and we want to know why. Learning of her talent, made us realize no one ever speaks of their life on Laurelia Proper. That in itself is odd. Can you tell us about those like Dannia and what she can do?” Niku asked.
“It is not allowed. There is a death sentence for those who speak of it.”
“That would no longer apply. The planet doesn’t exist anymore. Besides, no one will know where we got the information. The main reason we need to be sure of her talents, is we fear our father is also the victim of one much like her.”
“Mabest controls your father?” Ma asked.
Niku explained going into much detail. It was a sad story and some might think Niku and Toreen weak for not doing more sooner. He was their father so it had been hard to act. Had it just been the evil stepmother, they would have acted immediately. Erak would take action as soon as he was aware of what had been going on, but they loved their father and hated to see him punished.
“Please tell no one that I told you this.” Ma said and everyone nodded. “There was a place on the planet much like a swamp. A tribe lived there that kept themselves separate from all others. They traded and made money from us, but their law didn’t allow them to mate outside of their kind or to leave the region where they lived.”
“Dannia’s people?” Niku asked.
“Yes, her line was strong and filled with leaders and what they called swamp witches.”
“Swamp witches? I’ve never heard of such.” Romo expressed.
“They have magic. Some more powerful than others. Some can heal and many go to them when they are ill or if children are born with problems. They can cure many illnesses and birth defects. Among them, some have other gifts like the ability to influence others, lift items with their minds, read the minds of others, or summon fire.”
“That sounds like stories to tell children.” Toreen observed.
“It does, but it’s true. That is why our planet’s leaders denied them the right to come to Draconis or any other planet. I can only guess what happened with Dannia.” Ma noted.
“Take a guess.” Niku urged.
“Her mother must have mated with her father. When her people found out they destroyed her not realizing a child existed or thinking the child’s blood weak or without magic. Cretia might know for sure.”
“They would destroy one of their own?” Romo asked.
“Yes, their first and foremost law is to mate only among their own kind. To do otherwise is to be put to death.”
“Earthers have stories of some of the talents you mentioned. Maybe we should talk to them to see if they have swamp witches?” Niku mentioned.
Dessert was eaten and the talk done, but everyone lingered with a drink in hand. The atmosphere was companionable like back in the days of their youth. It was a time long gone, but still thought of often. If only they could go back. Of course they couldn’t and Toreen was probably the only one who wished they could. Niku and Romo had sweet mates they loved with all their hearts and babies on the way.
Toreen thought of his mate that he had but to claim. It was something he knew he needed to do, but his human side refused. What did that say about him? Time passed until the sun stopped giving them light and they knew they had to go. He was the only one living a solitary life and it was by choice.
The three males walked to the front of the house. There was an area clear and ready for one dragon at a time to lift their wings to the sky. It was surely the favored place for Pa to take flight. Romo and Niku fought to go first and went almost simultaneously. Dangerous, but they managed. Now it was his turn and he lifted to the skies finding it still the only activity that brought him complete pleasure.
The wind in his face, his destination below him, the place he came from just behind him, things were good when he was in the sky. It never lasted long enough and there was never enough time for longer flights. Perhaps now that Cretia had discovered where the money was leaking to, he’d find some time to relax and find comfort in his dragon.
It was time to get ready for bed and tomorrow he would get back to the job of straightening out his lands. His people would be pleased once things settled back to the way they should have always been. Toreen knew a new time of prosperity would settle in his lands. Even though he resisted mating, everything else in his life would fall into place.
A few days passed as he waited for word from Niku. His brother would deal with his stepmother, he knew that things would be settled. Already, things were better without the trickle of funds going to another place. Only a few days and the money was beginning to build up. He’d wait, it was important to see how things worked out, but just knowing all would be dealt with calmed him.
More days and then a week passed before his brother came by. “How goes it, Toreen?”
“I feel things will be good soon. How does the investigation go?”
“We’ve discovered some shocking things. The king and even the emperor wish to speak to you. You are invited for breakfast in the morning.”
“Should I be worried about their interest in me?” Toreen asked.
“No, they are simply concerned that this has gone on so long and have found that you are not the only one suffering from a similar issue. They hope understanding what happened will prevent it from happening again. Also, they plan to take action and want to be certain of exactly what occurred before they do so.” Niku admitted.
“Okay. I hope I survive the questioning.” He said with a laugh that had little humor in it.
They would see he’d been a fool to let this go on for so many years. While they would understand loyalty to his father, this had affected his people and his lands. That would be hard for them to overlook. Had he called in an accountant to check on things, his lands and people would have had things better long ago.
When morning came, Toreen was nervous, but prepared. He sent word to the kitchen that he would not be available for breakfast then he left. Changing to his dragon in the yard, he lifted to the skies a rush running over him as he lifted his wings. Higher and higher into the sky he moved spotting the castle which was his target. His dragon was excited even if the man was nervous.
He landed on the roof of the castle and was greeted by the guards. They obviously expected him and Toreen knew where to go. A regular visitor, he wasn’t, but he’d visited often enough to know where to go. Making his way there, he stopped at the desk in front of the meeting room to check in.
“Go on in. They wait for you.” The guard at the desk said. Tronger, he thought his name was. He’d been assigned to the roof for years when Toreen had visited in the past. Long enough, he’d gotten to know him a bit. Many had moved up to the next level with the military restructuring the king had done.
The guards at the door opened them as he approached nodding him in. Dragons in general were quiet speaking only when needed. The emperor, the king, Niku, Romo, and Garulto all sat at the table with a drink waiting to eat until he arrived.
“Glad you could come.” The emperor said and the others added their greetings.
“It was an honor to be invited.” He said with a half bow.
“Have a seat.” The king said gesturing to the seat near where he stood. It was a round table so all of them could clearly see each other.
Food was brought immediately and he noticed the aroma was much like Dori’s cooking. “The meal smells wonderful.” Toreen commented.
“Tomi has taken over the diner in the castle. It’s been expanded to allow more cooking on site. That way she can cater our meetings.” Erak explained. Sure he was the king, but he was also a friend and a cousin.
They began to eat as Romo started the discussion. “It seems there is some evidence to support that a certain group of the females on Laurelia Proper can exert some kind of mind control over others, mostly males. They are called swamp witches. After speaking with my mate and her family, it seems that such things are known of on Earth as well.”
“Tell us more of these swamp witches.” The emperor demanded.
“Witches are called such because they are said to have magic or some kind of power. We have little understanding about what they do or how they do it, but our informers said that the best and most powerful are healers. They use their abilities for good and keep to themselves. A few have been known like Dannia, but they were caught by their own people and destroyed. To go out among others is against their rules. Dannia’s mother mated her father, an outsider. When her people caught and destroyed the mother, they were unaware of the child.” Romo explained.
“So her father remated?” The king asked.
“Yes, and then Cretia was born. The poor girl has always lived in the shadow of Dannia. The sister controlled her and basically ruled her life. Cretia signed up for the mating program to escape.” Romo continued.
“It didn’t work.” Toreen observed.
“No, Dannia was rich by then, but she could never gain power on her home planet. If they checked into her background and realized who she was, her own people would have destroyed her. Since no one knew who she was, she had unrestricted access everywhere. She followed Cretia here and mated a wealthy male who she had killed then she killed Cretia’s mate. Once again she took control of her sister’s life.” Niku explained.
“Tragic.” Erak said. All the males present agreed.
“She let Cretia settle into a life since her intended’s family kicked her out as soon as she rejected the first offer of mating.” Niku described.
“That’s not acceptable. They had a responsibility for her. She should have received his death benefits since she left her world for him. What happened?” The emperor asked.
“They took the benefits once they got rid of her. It might have been because they blamed her for not completing the mating and having a grandchild they could love. Her intended was an only child.” Niku observed.
“The whole situation is terrible. It’s like every step of the way fate conspired to set this tragedy into motion.” The emperor declared. He was right. Had Cretia been able to stay with her intended’s family, she would have been harder to victimize. “There are laws in place to protect mates like Cretia. No one looked out for her and she became a victim. How is she doing now?”
No one spoke as all eyes turned to him. “She’s at my home where she runs the kitchen and keeps the books.”
“Has she found a mate?” Erak asked.
“She’s not mated yet, but will be in time.” Toreen admitted.
Erak let it drop, but Toreen knew it would be brought back up again. He should just go home and claim her. But he knew he’d not do it even though the more he discovered, the more it was clear she’d been a victim from the word go. For now they continued the talk discussing his father now.
“So how did this female come into your father’s life?” Erak asked.
“She was widowed. Her first husband was wealthy, but had no ties to the aristocracy. The woman likes parties and fun. Although our father also has no blood ties to royal blood, he is still sent most of the invitations to parties and events among nobles or the wealthy.” Niku admitted.
“Why?” Erak asked.
“I don’t know. Toreen is often busy so maybe they think he represents his holding. Maybe they even think he is the lord. It never seemed to matter so we never asked.” Niku admitted. “I’ll have Romo investigate.” He nodded to Romo who returned his nod.
“Now let’s get to the money. Your new bookkeeper is much better than your old one. They caught something going on since before you took over. Massive amounts of money have been taken from your holding over time. You should give the guy a bonus.” Erak suggested.
Toreen just nodded. His human side didn’t want to discuss Cretia. This meeting was nearly over and when he got home, he would find her because his dragon needed to see her. His dragon and his human side were totally at odds, something that had never happened before. Still, he resisted mating no matter how bad that made him feel. In the shadow of what had been revealed, his dragon had sympathy for him.
That sympathy wasn’t enough to stop his dragon from preparing to join their mate. Dessert was brought, there was a selection of pies. It was far more than even this group of dragons could eat.
“My guards will finish off the food that’s left. Tomi always sends too much and my guards look forward to it.” Erak admitted. He’d noticed Toreen’s look of disbelief at the amount of dessert.
There was an amazing selection of pies from berries to other fruits. She’d even fixed a meringue pie made from one of the sour fruits not normally used in pies and one made with nuts. They all ate quietly too busy enjoying their dessert. Once they were done, they all sat in their seats with full bellies wishing they could take a nice nap.
“I think we’ve done what we can for now. A deeper investigation into your stepmother is underway. We’ll let you know as things become clear.” Erak said. It was clear he was dismissing them, or some of them, at any rate.
Rising, Toreen nodded to the others then took his leave. There was a full day still ahead of him starting with seeing his unclaimed mate. Excitement rushed through his dragon as he stood on the roof and the change came over him. His property was just out of sight from where his dragon stood, but as he rose into the air, his dragon’s eyes could make out the borders of his land and the roof of his manor house.
His dragon’s heart swelled with love for the female his human refused. It was crazy that the two parts that together made him what he was couldn’t agree. Maybe it wasn’t so much that his human half didn’t want her so much as that he found it hard to trust after what his father had been a party to. Eventually he would have to make a decision before it was made for him. He felt that situation heading closer and closer.
Cretia had dealt with a lot. And while she was a great asset to his house, he sensed she was not content to remain there. That was part of the reason his dragon was pushing him to mate her. Once that was done, he would have a legal claim to her as well.
Electricity rushed through his dragon along with a slight sense of unease. Something seemed off, but he knew not what that might be. Flying at his fastest speed, he slowed just in time to hit the ground in his yard and come to a fast stop. Almost, he fell and skidded across the ground. Instead he managed to stumble, but catch himself. Changing back to his human form he entered his manor house with a crazed look on his face.
People jumped back when they saw him. “Are you alright?” Tofar a young cousin asked.
“Where’s Cretia?” He demanded.
“You don’t intend to hurt her, do you?” Tofar asked.
“I’m concerned about her.” He admitted.
“I’ve not seen her about so she may be in her room.”
Like a crazy male he ran to her room throwing open the door seeing the room empty. Walking in, he saw a note upon her bed. His dragon roared in anger and pain. Toreen ran to exit the house before he burned it down. As he entered the yard and took to the air, he sent fire rushing skyward. His dragon screeched with his heart in his cries.
Cretia was his, but she’d left him and she had no plan to ever come back. His dragon wanted to beat his human to a bloody pulp, but that wasn’t possible. Even his human was upset and regretting putting off the decision he’d been considering. Now he landed by the spot he and the others had saved her from her attackers. His heart did flip flops as he remembered the condition they’d found her in.
Two vile rogues had attacked her beating her nearly to death on the orders of her sister. His dragon had desired nothing so greatly as to tear those two males to shreds, but Niku and Romo held him back. Cretia was their main concern as she was near death. Their next concern was to discover more about the two rogues. It was only after questioning them the connection between Cretia’s sister and them had been made.
Now his female was given money for reparations and it had given her the opportunity to leave him. Now he needed to find her, but he had no idea where she might go. With money to pay her way, it could be anywhere. He’d find her and when he did, he’d ensure she never left him again. If that meant forming the bond, so be it. His dragon would not be consoled any other way.
Toreen also worried. What if Dannia had lured her away? That evil creature was capable of anything. Most males had no defenses against her unless they were mated. Neither Niku nor Romo had found themselves drawn to her. He knew he wouldn’t be either because mated or not, he’d found his one.
He made his way home to get to work. When Niku was done for the day, he would steer Toreen in the right direction. Surprisingly, it didn’t bother him that Niku was her friend. It was almost like the bond of siblings they shared. That was a bond they would have anyway once he mated her.
Getting back to his usual work was hard on him. His mind returned to Cretia and wondered where the hell she could be. He hoped for the best and feared for the worst. Deep in his heart he was only sure she was alive. That’s what his dragon told him and his dragon had a connection with her that would let it know once it was severed.
Finally, his com buzzed and it was Niku returning his earlier call. “Toreen.”
“What’s going on?” Niku asked.
“I came home and Cretia was gone. No way for me to know where she went and I need you to help me find her.”
“Is it Dannia?” Niku asked.
“No, she left on her own. It’s possible she was lured away, but I doubt it.”
“You should have claimed her. Why didn’t you?”
“I’m not really sure. My dragon screams to, but my human is concerned.” Toreen admitted.
“Usually it’s the females that act as you do.” Niku observed.
Toreen flushed his face red. He started to argue, but he knew there was truth in his brother’s words. His head hung down. “Yes, you are right. But I will never be happy without her. Help me so I can set things to right.”
“There’s one place I think of right away.”
“The hut she stayed in before? But that was barely livable.”
“Perhaps, but her life was simple and I believe if left alone she would have been content.”
“You believe I should leave her be?” Toreen felt like he’d been kicked. Maybe he didn’t deserve her, but if he got her back he would show her he was the male for her.
“That’s not what I meant. I was talking about Dannia hounding her. Cretia never thought of me as more than a friend. It hurt her to have to press me as she did. Her life was simple, but she’d carved out a life for herself where she depended on no one. That life would be better now since Dori shared some tips with her. If you don’t really want her, let her be because she will be fine on her own.” Niku advised.
There was not much he could say, he’d waited months and not claimed her. It wasn’t hard to see why Niku was concerned about his feelings for Cretia. Toreen simply could not leave her be. He needed her, his inner dragon screamed for her presence and would go insane without her nearby.
“Come get me and we will see if she’s there.” Toreen directed. Right now he was too torn up to be polite, but later he would thank his brother for his help.
“I’m leaving now.” Niku agreed.
Moments later he saw him circle as he came in for a perfect landing. “Ready?” Toreen nodded. “Follow me.”
Niku lifted off with Toreen on his tail literally. He hung close refusing to risk being left behind. They landed at a hut not far from his lands. It was small, made for a single person. The place was old, but seemed solid enough at least on the outside. Her scent his him telling him she’d been here recently, might even still be here.
Niku walked to the hut knocking on the new looking door. No answer. “She’s not here right now, but she has been within the last hour. If she’s staying here, she often harvests herbs to sell and fishes in the creek. Dori said she’s even learned to hunt eggs and use a slingshot to take down small animals. Your mate is an independent female so be careful when you approach her.”
“You’re leaving?” Toreen asked almost panicked.
“I think you need time alone with her more than a witness.” Niku observed with a chuckle.
“But she’s more comfortable around you. She may not listen to me.”
“I’ve never known her not to listen. She just doesn’t always do as requested. That’s something you’ll have to get used to.” Niku advised.
Cretia had followed his directions perfectly until today when she’d packed up her stuff and left him. It had been so unexpected he’d gone crazy for a moment. That’s when it became clear to him he had no claim on her, none. His orders meant only the power she granted him. Now she had decided to withdraw her acceptance of his orders.
She was not one of his people, he just wanted her to be. Now he had to claim her if she would allow it, or let her go. This was the time of decision and he would embrace his future or lose any hope of happiness. He nodded to Niku who immediately left. His brother had his own mate to see to and she was expecting twins soon. Toreen knew it had been unfair of him to call his brother away. He still felt a bit lost as he watched Niku’s dragon become smaller and smaller until he dropped out of sight no doubt landing at his home.
Now Toreen had nothing else to distract him. It was time to hunt Cretia down and decide their future. Drawing in a deep breath, his dragon began to track his mate as no other ever could. Thankfully, there were no other scents around. Had an unknown male been near his unclaimed mate, Toreen would have struggled not to tear him apart.
Walking slowly, he headed in the direction his nose told him to take. Her scent was sweet like the finest candy. There was no way he could have stopped himself from hunting her down even had he tried. Toreen saw a narrow trail heading into the woods so he followed it. It was probably one made by his mate traveling to the creek countless times over the last year. It even showed signs of use recently.
That told him she’d never abandoned this place completely. He assumed from that fact that she’d always planned to come back here eventually. Toreen couldn’t blame her since he’d not accepted her as he should, but it still gave him pain. Following the trail, he could see the creek in sight. Her scent had grown almost strong enough to take him to his knees.
He’d admit he’d been a fool in the worst possible way, but would she care? Had he waited too long for her to care? Stopping quickly, his eyes found her on the banks of the creek kicked back with a fishing pole in her hand. Her demeanor was so relaxed she was either asleep or daydreaming. There was no doubt she hadn’t yet sensed his presence nor did she expect it.
Moving forward quietly, he was almost upon her before she became aware of him. Cretia didn’t move, but her eyes lifted to him. “What are you doing here?” She asked.
“I came to find you. Why did you leave me?”
“Leave you?” She laughed with no mirth. “I simply moved back home. My home isn’t with you nor has it ever been.”
Her words were cold and cut like a knife, but he could see the truth in them. “I’ll admit I made mistakes. Can you see past those and forgive me?”
“There’s nothing to forgive you for. You took care of me when I needed it and paid you back. As far as I’m concerned, we’re even. You owe me nothing and I owe you nothing.”
That sounded so cold and businesslike to him. Was that truly how she saw their relationship? “Do you truly not feel the bond between us?”
“The one you ignore? That makes it mean nothing.” She replied.
“And what if I wanted it to mean more?” He questioned.
“You would have taken action long before I left. What’s the difference between me being there and never seeing you and me being here?”
Toreen had to admit she had him there. He’d hardly seen her since she’d come to his house. He’d avoided her, afraid to face their relationship head on. The human side had feared the dragon would just take what it wanted.
“You needed to heal and come to terms with what you’d been through.” He threw the excuse at her.
“Humph.” She made a snorting sound like a baby dragon might. It was cute, but disrespectful. It reminded him that she owed him no allegiance or respect.
“What if I ask you to come back? Would you have me if I offered you a place at my side as my mate?” The silence scared him. He feared rejection and maybe that was what he’d really feared all along.
With super speed, he moved to her picking her up into his arms and kissing her as if his life depended on it. She resisted for a few seconds before her body melted against his and her mouth opened to him.